Intel Editorial: How Governments Can Help Advance Artificial Intelligence
July 10 2018 - 5:00PM
Business Wire
Priorities Should Include Education and
Research
The following is an opinion editorial provided by Naveen Rao of
Intel Corporation.
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the full release here:
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Naveen Rao was the founder of Nervana and
is now corporate vice president and general manager of the
Artificial Intelligence Products Group at Intel Corporation.
(Photo: Intel Corporation)
Most people agree that artificial intelligence (AI) will
transform modern society in positive ways. From autonomous cars
that will save thousands of lives, to data analytics programs that
may finally discover a cure for cancer, to machines that give voice
to those who can’t speak, AI will be known as one of the most
revolutionary innovations of mankind.
But this fantastic future is a long way off, and the path to get
us there is still under construction. Never before has society
undertaken such a significant transformation so deliberately, and
no blueprints exist to guide us. Yet one thing is clear: AI is
bigger than any one company, industry or country can address on its
own. It will take the whole of our technology ecosystem and the
world’s governments to realize the full promise of AI.
More: Artificial Intelligence at Intel | Media Alert:
Intel at #POLITICOTech: The Government’s Role in Artificial
Intelligence
Industry and academia have been actively pursuing this future
for quite some time, and early solutions are already having an
impact. Government entities have been slower to engage but are now
crafting strategies to advance AI and solve some of their biggest
challenges. China, India, the United Kingdom, France and the
European Union have already come out with formal plans for AI, and
this is good. We need more countries to develop AI strategies –
especially the U.S.
Ultimately governments, industry and academia should collaborate
toward the advancement of AI. An ideal public-private arrangement
would apply regulation sparingly while simultaneously fostering
innovation and a thriving ecosystem. It’s the kind of arrangement
the U.S. is known for, and a key reason that most of the great
achievements of the technology industry grew out of U.S.-based
companies.
In my role as leader of Intel’s artificial intelligence
programs, I am often asked how governments can help AI progress. To
that question, I offer three priorities:
Education
Beginning in the elementary grades, school systems must start
thinking about their curricula with AI in mind, including
development of whole new education tracks. An early example of this
is the AI degree program under development at the Australian
National University. This first-of-its kind program is being
crafted by Senior Intel Fellow and AU computer science professor
Genevieve Bell. More is needed. Schools can also take interim steps
to better incentivize STEM pathways from an early age. Discounted
tuition or accelerated degree programs for data scientists may be
one way to produce more of the scientists we badly need to fully
realize the benefits of AI.
Then there’s the user side of the AI society. Just as schools
used to teach basic typing skills or computer skills, they will
need to teach “guided computational” skills so that people who work
with machines can successfully interact with them. Because some
jobs will most certainly be automated in the AI future, it’s also
important to emphasize skills that are uniquely human.
Person-to-person interaction will never go away, and those who are
good at it will be in high demand.
Research and Development
In order to craft effective public policy, governments should
develop an AI perspective. One of the best ways to do this is
through nationally funded R&D. Great programs are already
underway around algorithmic explicability both in the U.S. and
Europe. In the U.K. specifically, government-funded initiatives are
addressing the use of AI for early diagnosis of illness, reducing
crop disease and delivery of digital services in the public sector.
This is good and more is needed.
Governments globally should lean in to develop effective methods
for human-AI collaboration and engagement, find ways to ensure the
safety and security of AI systems, and develop shared public data
sets and environments for AI training and testing. Many of these
challenges will be addressed through collaborations between
academia, industry and government, with the latter funding more
research projects through institutions like the National Science
Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
These efforts would go a long way toward clarifying the regulatory
requirements that will be needed in our AI future.
Regulatory Landscape
AI will affect a whole host of laws and regulations. There are
dense thickets of policies around liability, privacy, security and
ethics – all areas where AI could come into play and where
thoughtful debate is needed before laws and regulations are
developed. Governments too eager to proscribe AI in various forms
will hinder the advancement of AI.
One early and positive step forward would be the liberation of
government data. Around the world, governments have access to a
trove of useful data that could propel deep learning and accelerate
delivery of some AI. This data should be liberated in a
responsible, secure way.
Healthcare is one area where the immediate benefits would be
profound. De-identified data from medical records, genomic data
sets, research and treatment programs could give AI the insight
needed to make breakthrough discoveries in mental health,
cardiovascular disease, drug therapies and more. Allowing federated
access to data from distributed repositories held in different
sites – all while preserving privacy and security – would propel AI
forward in our global quest for better health.
While we all look optimistically to an AI-powered future, much
work lies ahead. It will take all of us working collectively –
industry, academia and government – to get it done. We look forward
to achieving together the positive impacts AI will bring.
Naveen Rao was the founder of Nervana and is now corporate vice
president and general manager of the Artificial Intelligence
Products Group at Intel Corporation.
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) expands the boundaries of technology to
make the most amazing experiences possible. Information about Intel
can be found at newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.
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Intel CorporationRobin Holt,
503-696-2735robin.holt@intel.com
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