The Partnership on AI, a nonprofit group researching the uses of artificial intelligence, is calling for a softening of immigration laws and visa rules to make it easier for AI experts to travel around the world. The PAI's new policy paper, released today, addresses what it says is the impact of current restrictive visa laws and immigration rules on AI and machine learning technology development. It says these policies impede the ability of many students, researchers and industry practitioners to travel freely and, as a result, hurt the progress of AI research. "It is tremendously important to have international scholars be able to meet in person to discuss issues in technology ethics, especially in AI, which is transforming the world so rapidly," said Brian Green, director of technology ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. "Visas have supported these meetings."

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept that has a long standing tradition in the realm of science-fiction, popularized by Hollywood movies and iconic writers such as Isaac Asimov. However, AI has also received increased attention in recent years following news of progress in the field and the prospect of new, tangible, innovation such as self-driving cars. The Internet has played an important role in these developments, particularly as the platform for AI enabled services – some with significant implications for the continued development of a trusted Internet. The Internet Society is pleased to release a policy paper on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to help navigate some of the opportunities and challenges the technology presents, and to support an informed debate by de-mystifying some of its fundamental concepts. A key aspect is understanding machine learning, a specific AI technique that has been driving the development of new algorithms to substitute or support human decision-making – some of which are already deployed online.