USA updates National AI Research and Development Plan

The Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI) of the US National Science and Technology Council released an updated version of the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan. The document builds on its initial version, published in 2016, reiterating the seven priority areas for US federal agencies that invest in AI, adding new dimensions to the strategies, and outlining an eighth strategy. To start with, the plan highlights the need to sustain long-term investments in AI research and to develop AI systems that complement and augment human capabilities, with an increasing focus on the future of work. Understanding and addressing the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI are then outlined, with an emphasis on the development of ethical AI. Other additions to the plan include creating robust and trustworthy AI systems, increasing access to datasets, addressing associated challenges (to support AI training and testing), and supporting the development of AI technical standards and related tools. More emphasis is also placed on the need to advance the AI research and development workforce, as a way to sustain US leadership in the field. Compared to its 2016 version, the plan outlines a new focus area – expanding public-private partnerships to accelerate advances in AI.