Mediaboss Marketing

with several other federal agencies, will fund seven new artificial intelligence research centers led by university investigators.getty

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), along with several other federal agencies and higher education institutions, has announced a $140 million investment to establish seven new National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes (AI Institutes).

The initiative represents a major effort by the federal government to develop an AI workforce and to advance fundamental understanding of the technologys uses and risks. Funding for each institute, which includes collaborations among several universities, runs up to $20 million over a five-year period.

According to the announcement, the new AI Institutes will conduct research in several areas, including promoting ethical and trustworthy AI systems and technologies, developing novel approaches to cybersecurity, addressing climate change, expanding our understanding of the brain, and enhancing education and public health.

The National AI Research Institutes are a critical component of our Nations AI innovation, infrastructure, technology, education, and partnerships ecosystem, said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, in the announcement. These institutes are driving discoveries that will ensure our country is at the forefront of the global AI revolution.

In addition to the National Science Foundation, the AI Institutes will be supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Commerces National Institutes of Standards and Technology; U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Science and Technology Directorate; U.S. Department of Agricultures National Institute of Food and Agriculture; U.S. Department of Educations Institute of Education Sciences; U.S. Department of Defenses Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; and the IBM Corporation.

The new AI Institutes focus on the following six research themes:

Trustworthy AI

Led by the University of Maryland, the NSF Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS) aims to transform the practice of AI from one driven primarily by technological innovation to one driven by attention to ethics, human rights, and support for voices that have been marginalized in mainstream AI. It will focus on investigating what trust in AI looks like, whether current technical solutions for AI can be trusted, and which policy models can effectively sustain AI trustworthiness.

Intelligent Agents for Next-Generation Cybersecurity

Led by the University of California, Santa Barbara, the AI Institute for Agent-based Cyber Threat Intelligence and Operation (ACTION) will develop approaches that use AI to anticipate and take corrective actions against cyberthreats targeting the security and privacy of computer networks and their users. Researchers will work with experts in security operations to develop an approach in which AI-enabled intelligent security agents cooperate with humans to improve the resilience of security of computer systems.

Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry

The AI Institute for Climate-Land Interactions, Mitigation, Adaptation, Tradeoffs and Economy (AI-CLIMATE) will be led by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. It will focus on incorporating knowledge from agriculture and forestry sciences to develop AI methods to curb climate effects while enhancing rural economies. A main goal will be to lower the cost of and improve accounting for carbon in farms and forests to empower carbon markets and inform decision-making.

Neural and Cognitive Foundations of Artificial Intelligence

Led by Columbia University, the Neural and Cognitive Foundations of Artificial Intelligence Institute (ARNI) will focus on connecting progress made in AI to the revolution in understanding of the brain. It will conduct interdisciplinary research between neuroscience, cognitive science, and AI.

AI for Decision Making

The AI-Institute for Societal Decision Making (AI-SDM) under the leadership of Carnegie Mellon University, will develop AI for more effective responses in rapidly developing scenarios like disaster management and public health. AI-SDM will enable emergency managers, public health officials, first responders, community workers, and the public to make better data-driven decisions.

AI-Augmented Learning to Expand Education Opportunities and Improve Outcomes

Led by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, the AI Institute for Inclusive Intelligent Technologies for Education (INVITE) seeks to develop AI tools and approaches to support three noncognitive skills that underlie effective learning: persistence, academic resilience, and collaboration. It will focus on how children communicate STEM content, how they learn to persist through challenging work, and how teachers can promote noncognitive skill development.

The AI Institute for Exceptional Eduction (AI4ExceptionalEd) will be led by the University at Buffalo. It will attempt to develop a universal speech and language screener for children. The AI screener will analyze video and audio of children in their classrooms and help tailor interventions for children who need speech and language services.

Increasing AI system trustworthiness while reducing its risks will be key to unleashing AIs potential benefits and ensuring our shared societal values, said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institutes of Science and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio. Today, the ability to measure AI system trustworthiness and its impacts on individuals, communities and society is limited. TRAILS can help advance our understanding of the foundations of trustworthy AI, ethical and societal considerations of AI, and how to build systems that are trusted by the people who use and are affected by them.

I am president emeritus of Missouri State University. After earning my B.A. from Wheaton College (Illinois), I was awarded a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois in 1973. I then joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky, where I progressed through the professorial ranks and served as director of the Clinical Psychology Program, chair of the department of psychology, dean of the graduate school, and provost. In 2005, I was appointed president of Missouri State University. Following retirement from Missouri State in 2011, I became senior policy advisor to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon. Recently, I have authored two books: Degrees and Pedigrees: The Education of America's Top Executives (2017) and Coming to Grips With Higher Education (2018), both published by Rowman & Littlefield.

See the original post:
NSF Announces $140 Million Investment In Seven Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes - Forbes