These two AI experts are steering Biden's AI policy

The second of two leaders from NYU's AI Now Institute, a small but influential organization researching the social implications of artificial intelligence, just joined the Biden administration to lay the groundwork for government AI policy. Their previous work suggests their presence might encourage the government to require new transparency from tech companies about how their algorithms work. The Federal Trade Commission earlier this month created an entirely new role for AI Now co-founder Meredith Whittaker, who will serve as senior adviser on AI for an agency where tech staff has been in flux despite a mission to get tougher on tech. AI Now alumna Rashida Richardson -- a law professor who served as director of policy research for the group and has a background studying the impact of AI systems like predictive policing tools -- joined the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in July as senior policy adviser for data and democracy. "[Whittaker's] hiring is just the latest evidence of the FTC's attention on algorithms and algorithmic issues," said Laura Riposo VanDruff, former assistant director in the FTC's privacy and identity protection division and a partner at law firm Kelley Drye & Warren.