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Senators Began To Get Involved In AI

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According to the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the U.S. government should make a massive investment in artificial intelligence. He is advocating for the government to create a brand new agency to invest $100 billion in basic research in AI over 5 years. According to the senator, this will help the United States compete against Russia and China, who are moving ahead quickly in the field. The agency will also provide funding to certain areas where U.S. companies are not heavily involved. 

Senator Schumer gave a speech last week to senior national security and research policy-makers who gathered in Washington D.C. It was the first time he publicly outlined the new plan, and he is in an influential position to make progress as minority leader. This comes at a time when there is an increasing level of interest in AI and other related fields including robotics. There has also been a recent presidential executive order.

The new national science tech fund would invest $100 billion into “fundamental research related to AI and some other cutting-edge areas.”

Some of those cutting edge areas include quantum computing, 5G networks, robotics, cybersecurity, and biotechnology. The money would be used to fund research at U.S. universities, companies, and other federal agencies. It would also fund “testbed facilities” used to complete work needed to turn discoveries into commercial products. 

Behind Closed Doors

This plan has been discussed behind closed doors for several months by tech industry executives and academic leaders, but it still has a long way to go. According to Schumer, “this is just a discussion draft.”

Schumer suggested the fund would be a “subsidiary” of the National Science Foundation (NSF). It would also have a connection to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) within the Department of Defense (DOD) and have a board of directors. 

National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence

The speech took place at a symposium sponsored by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which is a bipartisan body that was created by Congress. This issue can bring together politicians from both parties, especially during a time when the government is so divided over the impeachment proceedings taking place against President Donald Trump. 

“This should not be a partisan issue. This is about the future of America,” Schumer asserted, saying the country’s security and economic prosperity depend on making such a major investment. And he asked the politically well-connected audience to help him sell the proposal.

“This idea has support from some people very close to the president and very close to [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell [R],” Schumer said. “But thus far they have been unable to get their [principals’] full-throated support. Anyone here who has any relationship with those people or people near them should be pushing this.”

The U.S. Government 

The U.S. government has not been completely absent from artificial intelligence, but many believe more needs to be done to keep pace with technology which will revolutionize almost everything.

Last month, the Department of Energy released plans to request $3 billion to $4 billion from Congress over the next 10 years. It will be used for AI research which already has some investment taking place. NSF officials have said that the agency spends that amount each year over the past decade in order to improve AI algorithms and software. 

Trump issued an executive order in February that told NSF, DOD, and other federal agencies to invest more in high-performance computing. Under the order, federal agencies are required to develop an “action plan to protect the U.S. advantage in AI technology.”

 

Alex McFarland is a tech writer who covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence. He has worked with AI startups and publications across the globe.