It is true that artificial intelligence (AI) will come to influence almost every aspect of our lives. In the scramble to realize the potential economic and societal benefits promised by AI, the ready availability of massive, complex, and assumed-to-be generalizable datasets with which to train and test new algorithms is vital. The interaction of governments with their citizens throughout their lives generates huge volumes of diverse information, and these continuously expanding repositories of data are now seen as a public good, providing the raw material for AI industries. In passing the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (NAIIA), the United States has adopted a path similar to that of the European Union, as defined within the European Commission's Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence 2021 Review. Under the provisions of the NAIIA, the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force (NAIRRTF) has been constituted to make recommendations to Congress on, among other things, the capabilities necessary to create shared computing infrastructure for use by AI researchers and potential solutions in respect to "barriers to the dissemination and use of high-quality government data sets."

Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the newly formed National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Resource Task Force which will write the road map for expanding access to critical resources and educational tools that will spur AI innovation and economic prosperity nationwide. As directed by Congress in the National AI Initiative Act of 2020, the Task Force will serve as a Federal advisory committee to help create and implement a blueprint for the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) -- a shared research infrastructure providing AI researchers and students across all scientific disciplines with access to computational resources, high-quality data, educational tools, and user support. The Task Force will provide recommendations for establishing and sustaining the NAIRR, including technical capabilities, governance, administration, and assessment, as well as requirements for security, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. The Task Force will submit two reports to Congress that together will present a comprehensive strategy and implementation plan -- an interim report in May 2022 and final report in November 2022. "America's economic prosperity hinges on foundational investments in our technological leadership," said Science Advisor to the President and OSTP Director Eric Lander.

The U.S. National Science Foundation and the Office of Science and Technology Policy announce the government, academic and private sector representatives who will serve on the task force The U.S. National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy today announced the formation of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force. As directed by Congress in the "National AI Initiative Act of 2020," the task force will serve as a federal advisory committee, developing an implementation roadmap for the National AI Research Resource, a shared research infrastructure providing AI researchers and students across all scientific disciplines with access to computational resources, high-quality data, educational tools and user support. The task force will provide recommendations for establishing and sustaining the National AI Research Resource, including technical capabilities, governance, administration, assessment and requirements for security, privacy, civil rights and civil liberties. It will also submit two reports to Congress that will comprise a comprehensive roadmap and implementation plan. The task force will deliver an interim report in May 2022 and a final report in November 2022.