On October 24, 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine‘s Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence will host a workshop in Washington, DC that will explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to foster a balance of safety and autonomy for older adults and people with disabilities who strive to live as independently as possible.  AI offers the possibility to greatly benefit Americans who are older than 65 or those who are living with a disability. AI systems present the potential for improving accessibility and transportation systems; increasing social connections; and lowering health care costs. However, there is a significant lack of evidence about the impact of such technologies, which points to a need […]

The nomination period for the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists is now open and will close on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. The Blavatnik National Awards celebrate the excellence of outstanding young faculty-rank scientists and engineers from approximately 300 invited institutions across the United States. It recognizes exceptional individuals and their accomplishments in the areas of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemistry. One Blavatnik National Laureate will be selected from each disciplinary category and will receive $250,000 in unrestricted funds. Computer scientists are eligible for the award in Physical Sciences and Engineering. There are separate award competitions in the US, the UK, and Israel. In 2018, the winner in Physical Sciences and Engineering […]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released two new requests for comments on draft publications related to the Internet of Things (IoT). The first document addresses trust concerns within IoT, while the second is focused on privacy risks within the space. The requests for comments announcement and draft abstracts can be found below. NIST Internal Report (NISTIR) 8222, Internet of Things (IoT) Trust Concerns   Note: Draft NISTIR 8222 has been temporarily withdrawn to synchronize with other pending documents on this topic, and to ensure time for stakeholders to review and comment.  Once the draft document has been re-posted, the comment period will be extended   Announcement […]

The Computing Research Association seeks a highly motivated individual to serve as a Deputy Director for the Computing Community Consortium. The Deputy Director works with the CCC Director, Council Members, and the CRA staff to ensure that the CCC succeeds in its mission: to serve as a catalyst and enabler for the computing research community, to provide mechanisms for the community to identify compelling research visions for the future of the field and to articulate those visions to key stakeholders. The Deputy Director provides backup to the Director in order to ensure that the CCC functions smoothly and effectively, and meets all of its contractual requirements in a timely and high-quality fashion. This […]

Last Thursday, Politico held an AI Summit: Innovation and Governance as “a global leadership gathering of policymakers, business leaders and experts for solutions-driven conversations on the impact of AI on governments, industries and society.” Some notable government participants included Representative Will Hurd (Texas), France Córdova (National Science Foundation), and Stacy Dixon (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity). In his opening remarks, Hurd said that we need to “double down on basic research.”  The problem with basic research is that “often times it is hard to understand the return on investment of basic research. People believe the government should have the same returns as venture capital, private equity, but that’s just not possible. […]

On behalf of the National Science and Technology Council’s Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) National Coordination Office has released a Request for Information (RFI) on updates to the 2016 National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan. The 2016 National Artificial Intelligence Research & Development Strategic Plan focused on research areas that industry is considered unlikely to address and identified 7 strategies for Federally-funded AI research: Strategy 1: Make long-term investments in AI research. Prioritize investments in the next generation of AI that will drive discovery and insight and enable the United States to remain a world leader in AI. Strategy 2: Develop […]