US administration defines a strategy for research and development in artificial intelligence

The US administration has published two documents on artificial intelligence (AI), outlining its strategy for promoting AI research and development at a national level. As Quartz observes, ‘three key guiding philosophies were presented across the reports: AI needs to augment humanity instead of replacing it, AI needs to be ethical, and there must be an equal opportunity for everyone to develop these systems’. Moreover, the administration does not seem to have plans to broadly regulate AI, but rather adopt an approach where the use of AI will be held to specific standards in the automotive, aviation, and finance industries.  One of the main AI-related concerns outlined in the reports relates to AI’s impact on jobs and the economy, with a new report on automation and the economy being planned for later this year. President Obama has also expressed concerns on this issue, noting that, while the technology ‘can generate prosperity and opportunity’, it also poses challenges such as leading to eliminating jobs and increasing inequality.