Today, the Department of Commerce hosted the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC). Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo noted in her address to the NAIAC members that the committee will assist the federal government by providing insights into AI-related issues and complement the Department's work with international partners – including the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). Deputy Secretary Don Graves also addressed the NAIAC, emphasizing his hope that the committee's recommendations would help the nation chart a path for responsible and inclusive AI that will advance economic equity. The NAIAC is administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST Director and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Dr. Laurie Locascio emphasized how scientific and technological advances have expanded both opportunities and challenges for standards and measurements that cultivate trust in technology, part of NIST's mission.

The Commerce Department is actively recruiting candidates to serve on the government's newly-formed National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee, or NAIAC--where they'll inform President Joe Biden and agencies on issues raised by the emerging technology. At least nine members will serve up to two consecutive three-year terms on the committee, according to a recently released call for nominations. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is charged with providing administrative support to the high-level group. "The announcement was posted just over a week ago and we have already had a good deal of interest, with more than 65 submissions so far," NIST's Public Affairs Director Jennifer Huergo told Nextgov on Friday. AI is a complex technology that is increasingly prevalent in, and even shaping, many human lives.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced Wednesday that the Commerce Department has established a high-level committee to advise the president and other federal agencies on a range of issues related to artificial intelligence (AI). Working with the National AI Initiative Office (NAIIO) in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the department is now seeking to recruit top-level candidates to serve on the committee. A formal notice describing the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC) and the call for nominations for the committee and its Subcommittee on Artificial Intelligence and Law Enforcement appear in the Federal Register published today. With AI already changing how society addresses economic competitiveness, national security challenges, and equitable opportunities, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its researchers are dedicated to ensuring AI technologies are developed and used in a trustworthy and responsible manner that allows for accuracy, security, explainability and interpretability, reliability, privacy, safety, and the mitigation of bias. Trustworthy data, standards, and integration of machine learning and AI in applications are critical for the successful deployment of new technologies and the identification and mitigation of sources of algorithmic bias.

"We must be sure that these [artificial intelligence] advances are matched by similar progress in ensuring that AI is trustworthy, and that it ensures …