Is the U.S. Getting Serious About Artificial Intelligence? – MeriTalk

The White House's planned advisory committee on artificial intelligence may or may not help keep the country at the forefront of technological innovation, but it is another sign that the government is getting more serious about the importance of AI and the potential threats of falling behind in the "AI arms race." The Trump administration said earlier this month it will establish the Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence as part of an overall effort to coordinate Federal research and development efforts with regard to AI, while working to involve industry and academia to "realize the full potential of AI," according to the White House announcement from its Summit on Artificial Intelligence for American Industry. The committee will be comprised of senior research and development officials at a range of agencies and offices, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency (IARPA). Also at the table will be the technology-focused undersecretaries of the departments of Defense, Commerce and Energy, along with representatives from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the National Security Council (NSC). "Our continued leadership in the field that American researchers pioneered is not just a request; it is an imperative," Michael Kratsios, deputy CTO of the White House OSTP, said at the event.