Expect Updated National AI Strategy in Early Spring, White House Official Says

The administration will soon publish public comments on the update to the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan expected in early spring, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Assistant Director-Artificial Intelligence Lynne Parker said Tuesday. The administration is pleased overall with the strategic plan inherited from the previous administration, Parker told an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation event. The overwhelming majority of comments are positive, she said: “We don’t need to overhaul the original plan.” The federal government can’t ignore significant AI investment from industry and R&D gaps, she said.

The National Science and Technology Council's Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence met Friday, Parker said. Led by co-chairs OSTP Deputy Assistant to the President Michael Kratsios, National Science Foundation Director France Cordova and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Director Steven Walker, the panel will ensure the U.S. is leveraging resources properly across the government, Parker said. That includes making sure the U.S. is investing and spending tax dollars wisely on AI, she added.

​​​​​​​Parker was asked about the White House’s expected meeting with tech executives Thursday (see 1811300036). Citing lack of involvement, she didn’t say what the White House hopes to gain from the meeting.

​​​​​​​Leading up to the event, ITIF's Center for Data Innovation called for a national AI strategy. The report proposes a data-sharing framework between government, industry and academia. Firms need access to data because it’s the key input for AI technology, said Center for Data Innovation Senior Policy Analyst Joshua New.

New noted the U.S. government isn't funding half the “AI research we know would be beneficial.” The U.S. has an early lead on AI advancement, he said, but China, Canada, France and others have developed national strategies to be more competitive in an AI-driven economy. He said China is projected to overtake the U.S., with the goal of becoming an international AI hub by 2030. China published six times more AI-related patents than the U.S. in 2017, he said.

The American startup ecosystem is the envy of the world, Engine Policy Director Rachel Wolbers said. That means the U.S. can take more risk and be more disruptive in different sectors, she said, arguing the U.S. is “still winning the race.”

Taking American AI leadership into the next generation will depend on R&D​​​​​​​, said Accenture Managing Director-Government Relations in North America Robert Hoffman. The U.S. needs to direct research in the areas of the economy where AI will most benefit society, and it’s unclear whether that’s healthcare, energy, autonomous technology or something else, said Software & Information Industry Association Senior Vice President-Public Policy Mark MacCarthy.