OpenAI said that Sam Altman was officially reinstated as chief executive officer and that it has a new initial board of directors, with Microsoft Corp. joining as a nonvoting observer. The announcement Wednesday, a blog post penned by Altman, comes two weeks after the CEO's shock firing from the artificial intelligence startup, followed by an operatic boardroom power struggle. OpenAI also said that Mira Murati -- who had been chief technology officer until Altman's ousting when she was briefly named interim CEO -- is once again the company's CTO. OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman will return as the company's president after he quit in protest over Altman's firing. Microsoft, the company's largest investor, had not previously had a position on the board before it took the observer role.

FOX News Los Angeles-based chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt has more on the revelations on'Special Report.' NASA announced Thursday it has appointed a new director of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) research in an effort by the space agency to better understand what it describes as "one of our planet's greatest mysteries." The new position, according to NASA, will "centralize communications, resources and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP," which is the government's terminology when referring to UFOs. "NASA's new director of UAP research will develop and oversee the implementation of NASA's scientific vision for UAP research, including using NASA's expertise to work with other agencies to analyze UAP and applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to search the skies for anomalies," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. "NASA will do this work transparently for the benefit of humanity."

Fox News Headlines 24/7 sports reporter Eric Messersmith joins "Fox News @ Night" to discuss the Pentagon "one-stop shop" for declassified information about UFOs and NIL rules. NASA is looking for "signs of life past or present," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, and there are a "small handful" of incidents that "we don't know what they are." As it stands today, NASA doesn't have enough high-quality data to make a "definitive, scientific conclusion" about the origin of UFOs, according to the space agency's independent UAP research team's 36-page report that was released Thursday. "If you ask me, do I believe there's life in a universe that is so vast that it's hard for me to comprehend how big it is? My personal answer is yes," Nelson said.

Director of Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (IDSAI) The University of Exeter is one of the world's best universities. It is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of top UK research-intensive universities, having ranked in the top 150 universities in the world and the top 15 UK universities in prestigious global and national league tables. Our success is built upon strong foundations of leadership, governance and management, and a sector-leading partnership with our students. Launched in October 2021, our new Strategy 2030 aims to use our outstanding education and research to create a sustainable, health and socially just future. Our shared purpose and vision will continually move us forward to make a difference to people, our communities, our partners, and to the world around us.

The Pentagon is creating a new position -- the chief digital and artificial intelligence officer. Intended to be the successor to the Defense Department's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, the new office will better align data, analytics, digital solutions and AI efforts across the department, reflecting a "shift in organizational concept," according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. The department's Chief Information Officer John Sherman has been named as the acting chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, while the search for permanent leader continues -- targeted for June 1 hire or earlier. Whomever takes on the permanent role will face an enormous task: establishing foundational analytics goals for the Defense Department, helping it better define AI for its enterprise operations, and providing best practices for building out tools, processes and reporting to drive toward those goals. Some distinct skills and strategic actions will be needed not only for the new director but for the estimated 200 to 300 individuals who will work under this office.

A new director, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, takes the helm of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) during a pivotal time for the future of scientific research in the United States. This month marks the 75th anniversary of the seminal report “Science—The Endless Frontier” by Vannevar Bush, director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, submitted in 1945. The treatise laid the groundwork for the NSF and many other investments that have kept the United States at the forefront of scientific advancement and economic innovation. Today, American science and the United States face similar challenges that center around national security, economic strength, and social justice. To renovate the NSF in ways that address current issues, Dr. Panchanathan should use his position to build on the time-tested partnership between science and the U.S. government. To this end, I offer the following advice for improving the NSF in the coming years. In his new role, the director should position himself as the nation's leading public advocate for science. Although American society relies on scientific research and investment more than ever before, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed in the American populace a vast and dangerous ignorance about science. Because the NSF supports all science and engineering disciplines, the director is uniquely positioned to be America's spokesperson for the promise of science—and government investment in science—to solve vexing problems and grow the economy. The NSF director can also speak about the nature of scientific research and how both successes and failures create new knowledge and innovations worthy of taxpayer investments. To use this bully pulpit for effectively communicating with policy-makers and the public, the director should rely on the agency's communications resources. Current events have refocused attention on the fact that all fields of scientific research in the United States have been far too White and male for far too long. The director should address the need for greater diversity in the scientific workforce. Drawing on a diverse talent pool can provide a key strategic advantage for the United States because scientists from diverse backgrounds ask different questions and in serving as role models, increase public support for science. The new director should seize this moment in our social consciousness to make science more inclusive by building on existing programs (such as the NSF ADVANCE and INCLUDES initiatives). He should also follow the recommendations of the National Science Board Vision 2030 report, which encourages institutional change and the adoption of proven science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pedagogy and practices that boost diversity and inclusion. Such remodeling should prioritize inclusiveness and innovation in the way the NSF reviews and awards grants. The NSF's merit-based review system is the world's gold standard, but even gold needs occasional polishing. Streamlining the current grant application process will benefit applicants from all backgrounds by reducing structural barriers to entry that often hinder minority scientists and minority-serving institutions. Innovations that result from NSF investments must serve the public good. Building on successful programs such as the NSF Innovation Corps, the new director should seek ways to help faculty and students move scientific discoveries into the marketplace efficiently for the public good. For example, providing researchers with relatively modest supplemental awards to support market analysis or other aspects of technology transfer could help science faculty advance NSF-funded research with potential applications in both the public and private sectors. And the director should guide the NSF to focus on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics, and cognitive neuroscience—all of which are crucial to America's national security and economic competitiveness. These suggestions are starting points. Dr. Panchanathan should take advice not only from longtime scientists and university leaders like myself, but also from NSF career staff and the many university faculty members who rotate through NSF. Fortunately for all scientists and citizens, Dr. Panchanathan has a world-class track record of leadership on diversity, reform, and advancing emerging fields of science. For instance, at Arizona State University, Dr. Panchanathan developed assistive devices for the visually impaired, and demonstrably sharpened the university's focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. At this crucial juncture for America's scientific enterprise, NSF's future is in extremely capable hands.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zendrive, a mission-driven company using data and analytics to make roads safer and insurance fairer, today announced John Kramer as Director of Insurance Sales. He brings with him nearly 20 years of insurance experience in underwriting, usage-based insurance, product management, and connected car technology. "Zendrive is an established leader in driving analytics and research, with the world's largest driving data set of over 180 billion miles," said John Kramer. "The company is thinking critically about how to apply its unique, predictive telematics factors and innovative technology solutions to the insurance industry. I'm proud to join such a passionate team powering a modern, data-driven future alongside our insurance provider partners."

As the Veterans Affairs Department's inaugural Director of Artificial Intelligence, Gil Alterovitz aims to leverage the emerging technology and the agency's cornucopia of data to proactively anticipate and tackle problems afflicting veterans like never before. In a conversation with Nextgov, Alterovitz detailed his present efforts and future-facing vision to support VA in executing that mission. "Nowhere in the country is there such potential for research to be developed and translated into clinical care so quickly. In this case, it's to help our special population of veterans … and those patients have actually asked us to deal with their needs," Alterovitz said. "We really want to be the go-to place for veterans through AI research and development--so instead of reacting, we can really anticipate their needs."

Microsoft plans to significantly expand its Montreal research lab and has hired a renowned artificial intelligence expert, Geoffrey Gordon, to be the lab's new research director. The company said Wednesday that it hopes to double the size of Microsoft Research Montreal within the next two years, to as many as 75 technical experts. The expansion comes as Montreal is becoming a worldwide hub for groundbreaking work in the fields of machine learning and deep learning, which are core to AI advances. "Montreal is really one of the most exciting places in AI right now," said Jennifer Chayes, a technical fellow and managing director of Microsoft Research New England, New York City and Montreal. In a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discussed Microsoft's ongoing investment in Canada and the expansion of the Montreal lab, including Gordon's hiring.

It's hard to know where to start with Ray Kurzweil. With the fact that he takes 150 pills a day and is intravenously injected on a weekly basis with a dizzying list of vitamins, dietary supplements, and substances that sound about as scientifically effective as face cream: coenzyme Q10, phosphatidycholine, glutathione? With the fact that he believes that he has a good chance of living for ever? He just has to stay alive "long enough" to be around for when the great life-extending technologies kick in (he's 66 and he believes that "some of the baby-boomers will make it through"). Or with the fact that he's predicted that in 15 years' time, computers are going to trump people. That they will be smarter than we are. Not just better at doing sums than us and knowing what the best route is to Basildon. But that they will be able to understand what we say, learn from experience, crack jokes, tell stories, flirt. Ray Kurzweil believes that, by 2029, computers will be able to do all the things that humans do.