Partnership on AI: Governments should give AI researchers special visas to attend conferences

Governments around the world should create special visa classifications for the international AI and machine learning community, the Partnership on AI said in a newly released report. Such visa classifications should be made for working professionals, as well as students and interns in AI and ML, in order for them to more easily attend conferences and study for extended periods. The report points out that some nations permit special visa classifications for medical professionals, athletes, religious workers, and entrepreneurs. Such steps are necessary, the group asserts, to enable members of the world's AI research community to collaborate and share ideas. Allowing a diverse group of researchers to attend international AI conferences is valuable because it can introduce new ideas, combat groupthink, ensure that a wider swath of researchers enjoy the prestige of major conference presentations, and let "organizations have the opportunity to benefit from all available talent."