"Simply put, GANs pit two competing neural networks against each other in a fist-fight to the death," Hurd says. In the case of Bold Glamour, it's a competition between the camera's view of your face and the style TikTok wants to morph you into. "Because it uses you, it then compares aspects of your face to a dataset of images that start to match against your cheeks, eyes, eyebrows, lips, and more." Eventually, the technology combines the two sets of images into one. "If we do this fast enough, we can achieve a video framerate," Hurd says.

Federal officials have largely come around to the idea that research funding is crucial for U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence, but there are ways to accelerate innovation besides pouring in more money, according to tech experts. For one, they said, the government could map a long-term strategy for advancing the technology. "The U.S. has been slow in making this a national imperative," Dean Garfield, president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council, said Thursday on a panel hosted by Politico. "The signal that comes from the top … is critically important here and has the opportunity to really catalyze that action in a way that wouldn't happen without it." The Office of Science and Technology Policy on Wednesday requested industry input on updating an AI research and development strategy the White House published in 2016.

"There are still many senators that don't even use email--if you don't even use email how are you going to understand some of these other tools? We need folks that are running for office that understand these things." That was the call from Will Hurd, former congressperson and author of the upcoming American Reboot: An Idealist's Guide to Getting Big Things Done, during WIRED's virtual CES HQ on Wednesday. Hurd advocated for cybersecurity, privacy, and responsible AI issues during his congressional tenure from 2015 to 2021. And in conversation with WIRED this week, he emphasized the need for the US government and state and local legislatures across the country to sharpen their understanding of the role of technology as misinformation, data abuse, and emerging technologies like AI become increasingly influential in domestic affairs and geopolitics.

The federal government may have a role to play as an equity mediator when it comes to the development of artificial intelligence technologies, according to three lawmakers. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., Will Hurd, R-Texas, and Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., are convinced that artificial intelligence will soon be ubiquitous and the U.S. government will play a vital role in its development. But in order for the technology to be developed equitably, the federal government will need to ensure access to education as well as resources like data isn't limited to elites. Let's also make sure that whenever the federal government is doing research and has data, that that information is available for everybody to use so that you don't have to be a large business or corporation … to take advantage of artificial intelligence and the data you need in order to do that, Hurd said. Kelly added historically black colleges and universities need greater access to AI research opportunities as well.

Two tech-savvy lawmakers have partnered together with two prominent think tanks to produce a report detailing guidelines for a national artificial intelligence strategy. Will Hurd, R-Texas, and Robin Kelly, D-Ill., joined with the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Center for New American Security to develop a series of white papers exploring topics in artificial intelligence.The first two reports covered national security and the workforce. The third, which was announced Thursday, called on the federal government to effectively double funding for AI research and development. The new report makes 14 recommendations, beginning with the call for increased research and development funding. The aim is to increase funding year over year to reach a goal of $25 billion per year by 2025.

US representatives Will Hurd and Robin Kelly are from opposite sides of the ever-widening aisle, but they share a concern that the US may lose its grip on artificial intelligence, threatening the American economy and the balance of world power. Thursday, Hurd (R-Texas) and Kelly (D-Illinois) offered suggestions to prevent the US from falling behind China, especially, on applications of AI to defense and national security. They want to cut off China's access to AI-specific silicon chips and push Congress and federal agencies to devote more resources to advancing and safely deploying AI technology. Although Capitol Hill is increasingly divided, the bipartisan duo claim to see an emerging consensus that China poses a serious threat and that supporting US tech development is a vital remedy. "American leadership and advanced technology has been critical to our success since World War II, and we are in a race with the government of China," Hurd says. "It's time for Congress to play its role."

Will Hurd, R-Texas as well as a two-time Wash100 Award recipient, and Robin Kelly, D-Ill., have put out a white paper discussing the future relevance of artificial intelligence in the country's workforce and education. Hurd and Kelly worked with the Bipartisan Policy Center to develop the "AI and the Workforce" report, the first of four white papers in a series of AI-focused strategic documents, Hurd's office said Thursday. "AI is the future of the world's economy, and we want to ensure that every American worker has the opportunity to thrive in an AI-driven economy," said Hurd. The report tackles how the U.S. may incorporate AI curricula into the country's education system in support of workforce needs in the emerging field. The government will release the other three white papers in weeks to come.

The rise of artificial intelligence has quickly revolutionized significant portions of the economy, including the transportation, health care, and financial sectors. As technology progresses, the United States must develop a comprehensive framework that addresses the opportunities and challenges within AI. The Bipartisan Policy Center has teamed up with Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL) to create an AI initiative aimed at establishing a national strategy for how the United States can continue its leadership in developing these technologies while also providing recommendations for how Congress should adapt to ongoing advancements. Hurd announced the work at an October 2019 event and in a subsequent press release.

U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (IL-02) and I recently announced a new initiative with the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to develop a bipartisan national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, which will guide how Congress and the executive branch tackle this critical issue. Kelly and I will collaborate with BPC over the coming months to bring together an array of policy experts, public and private sector leaders and consumer advocates across the political spectrum through a series of meetings to discuss the complex policy challenges within AI. Kelly and I have asked for BPC's assistance with this effort because of their leadership in evidence-based policymaking and bipartisan collaboration to solve national problems. If America loses its advantage in technology, it will have a devastating effect on our economy and national security. We need a national AI strategy to ensure the U.S. is prepared to lead on technology that will define the course of this century. I am excited to once again work with my friend and colleague, Rep. Kelly, to tackle this important issue. "In order to maintain a strong economy and national defense, America must preserve our technological edge.

The Trump administration, as part of its strategy on artificial intelligence, has spent a considerable amount of time identifying jobs that become obsolete with the rise of automation. As part of that effort, agencies have also looked at predicting what new career paths automation might create in the years ahead. But now some officials say fear over automation-related job security might have gone too far. Federal Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent, who has overseen some of the administration's reskilling pilots, like the Federal Cyber Reskilling Academy, said some of these anxieties about automation aren't new. "This is not a story that we haven't heard before in our nation: Something comes along that radically changes the way that we work, the way that we live, and creating fear about that is not the best path forward," Kent said during a panel hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center on Wednesday.