National AI Initiative Office launched by White House
The White House on Tuesday fulfilled its requirement to establish an office responsible for coordinating artificial intelligence research and policymaking across government, industry and academia.
Dubbed the National AI Initiative Office, it will implement a national AI strategy under the leadership of Founding Director Lynne Parker, who also serves as U.S. deputy chief technology officer.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy established the office in accordance with the National AI Initiative Act of 2020, which codified a number of policies and initiatives aimed at ensuring U.S. leadership in the technology globally.
“The National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office will be integral to the federal government’s AI efforts for many years to come, serving as a central hub for national AI research and policy for the entire U.S. innovation ecosystem,” said Michael Kratsios, U.S. CTO, in a statement.
Some have noted the new office’s logo, which features a bald eagle clutching a neural network — the technology central to machine learning and AI.
The National AI Initiative Office seal
The National AI Initiative Act of 2020 was passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 earlier this month.
Additionally the law codified the American AI Initiative to increase research investment, improve access to computing and data resources, set technical standards, build a workforce, and engage with allies.
The White House-based Select Committee on AI was expanded and made permanent to oversee the initiative, and the national AI research institutes and National AI Research and Development Strategic Plan were codified.
A National AI Research Resource for existing compute power and datasets is now required, as is an annual AI budget rollup of all federal investments.
The Industries of the Future Act was also included in the NDAA and requires a plan to double AI R&D investment, as suggested in the Trump administration’s final budget proposal.
