Machine learning has come a long way in a short amount of time, and the U.S. government is working to stay on top of the subject.
The White House announced on its website Tuesday that it will co-host four public workshops during the next few months to spur discussions about artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The four workshops will feature academic and nonprofit organizations—two of them will be hosted by the National Economic Council. The White House is inviting anyone interested in providing input or learning more about AI to attend one of the sessions. They will all be livestreamed.
Here are links to each of the session’s websites with more information about them:
- May 24: Legal and Governance Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Seattle
- June 7: Artificial Intelligence for Social Good in Washington, D.C.
- June 28: Safety and Control for Artificial Intelligence in Pittsburgh
- July 7: The Social and Economic Implications of Artificial Intelligence Technologies in the Near-Term in New York City
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has also created a new National Science and Technology Council subcommittee tasked to monitor the advances within the field and increase the use of AI in the government.
“Applications in AI to areas of government that are not traditionally technology-focused are especially significant; there is tremendous potential in AI-driven improvements to programs and delivery of services that help make everyday life better for Americans in areas related to urban systems and smart cities, mental and physical health, social welfare, criminal justice, the environment, and much more,” stated the White House press release.
Not only is the organization trying to use AI to its advantage, it is also trying to figure out potential risks that go along with the quick growth of machine learning.
“AI systems can also behave in surprising ways, and we’re increasingly relying on AI to advise decisions and operate physical and virtual machinery—adding to the challenge of predicting and controlling how complex technologies will behave,” the White House said in the statement.
The latest achievement in this space occurred in March with Google Alpha Go’s victory over Lee Sedol, who is considered to be one of the greatest Go players of all time. Current AI operates within very narrow operating skills, but adaptable intelligence may not be far in the future.
When it happens, the federal government will know more about how to use its potential and to prevent the iMom from actually happening.
