A U.S. university has won $20 million in federal funding to create a new artificial intelligence (AI) research institute.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has received funding for its new Institute for Artificial Intelligence for Social Decision Making, according to a local news publication.
The institute will promote the improvement of artificial intelligence tools to assist decision-making processes in social settings such as natural disasters and public health events. Aarti Singh, a professor in the university's machine learning department, will serve as the institute's director. One of the main goals, she said, is to create "human-centric" AI. "We need to develop AI technology that works for people it's actually built on vetted data, vetted algorithms, feedback from all stakeholders and participatory design." Singh explained that she believes AI can play an important role in helping policymakers and officials make more informed decisions in different situations.
Researchers at the institute will consult with public health officials, emergency managers and community workers, as well as behavioral and cognitive scientists, while developing and training new technologies. Additionally, Singh noted that the ethical use of AI is a "central goal" of the institute, and that developers and researchers must be "careful" in the process.
"I think one of the keys is to make sure we use AI in an ethical way so we can deploy it when we need it." This is because governments around the world are starting to examine the use of AI in policies and regulations to keep it in place. In Romania, the government recently launched an AI chatbot that will crowdsource public engagement and needs to help inform policy decisions.
Other global leaders in countries such as the United States and China are considering new regulations for the technology. In the European Union, lawmakers are finalizing a new AI bill that focuses on guidelines for generating AI tools.
