AI Policy Committee (AIPC)

About

The AI Policy Committee brings together IEEE members with experience and expertise in the various disciplines used in scientific field of artificial intelligence (AI) to address the public policy needs of the S&T community working with this important emerging technology. The committee meets as needed to address current events and the emerging questions related to AI, and publishes position statements that reflect a consensus viewpoint of IEEE’s U.S. membership, and which IEEE-USA staff will use to guide advocacy efforts within the United States. Specific uses include, but are not limited to, legislative advocacy, rule-making notice-and-comment letters, and advocacy efforts with the US Administration and federal agency officials.

Rationale

AI, the theory and development of computer systems that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, is a rapidly emerging technology. While AI can be an effective and efficient enabler for national security and social good, and has significant potential for a wide range of commercial applications, society must acknowledge and address a number of salient issues. Increasingly, AI applications significantly impact every aspect of American society, with implications for the economy, public safety, privacy, and governmental applications.

For these reasons, the US government must create coordinated federal policy, which includes supporting AI R&D adequately while enacting effective laws and regulations that promote safety, privacy, cybersecurity, and intellectual property protection. Federal public policies must also assure transparency and provide the information necessary to allow the public to make informed decisions about the use of AI. Insufficient attention to any of these areas could result in high-profile controversies, critical technological failures, or even loss of life. Well-considered policies are essential for AI to achieve its full potential to create value for our society and allow the US to remain the leader in AI innovation.

About AIPC 1-pager

Ethically Aligned Design, First Edition

This comprehensive report combines a conceptual framework addressing universal human values, data agency, and technical dependability with a set of principles to guide A/IS creators and users through a comprehensive set of recommendations. More Info

AI: A Global Survey

AI&ASPC has released its new Global Survey of 26 countries, profiling their national AI strategies, and including references to the extant laws that address privacy and security.  AI: A Global Survey is available now as a free PDF download.

News

• 1 November 2019 – AI Policy Committee Chair Mina Hanna, AI Policy Committee member Dr. Lydia Kostopoulos, and IEEE Executive Director Steve Welby were all recognized for their contributions to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Board’s (DIB) newly adopted set of principles to guide ethical development and application of AI in DoD.  Read More 

Policy Communications

• 22 December 2021 – Letter to Senator Ron Wyden expressing support for the Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2021.
• 18 November 2021 – Letter to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), responding to request for comments on NIST Internal Report 8351-DRAFT DNA Mixture Interpretation: A NIST Scientific Foundation Review.
• 26 October 2018 – Letter to NSF NITRD National Coordination Office providing input to the National Artificial Intelligence R&D Strategic Plan per request for information (83 FR 48655)

Testimony

• 22 January 2020 – Marc Canellas’ testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Technology on Local Law 49 of 2018 in Relation to Automated Decision Systems Used by Agencies. [recorded video – Canellas’ testimony begins at 1:40:00)

Position Statements

Resources

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Applied to Cybersecurity: The result of an intensive three-day IEEE Confluence 6-8 October 2017
• The Seven Deadly Sins of AI Predictions – Mistaken extrapolations, limited imagination, and other common mistakes that distract us from thinking more productively about the future (Rodney Brooks)
• The Great AI Paradox – Don’t worry about supersmart AI eliminating all the jobs. That’s just a distraction from the problems even relatively dumb computers are causing (Brian Bergstein)
• AI: A Global Survey – This new AI survey provides an overview of the current national AI strategies of 26 different countries, helping US policymakers and others in the space understand the global context of AI. You may be surprised to see how innovative some smaller countries are being! (Raine Sagramsingh)