The White House announced the creation of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) today, taking further steps to advance the research, development, and adoption of AI across the United States.
The new office will serve as “the central hub for Federal coordination and collaboration in AI research and policymaking across the government,” according to a press release from the White House. The office will also oversee the implementation of a National AI Strategy, building on efforts like the American AI Initiative executive order and responding to calls for a strategy from Congress. Lynne Parker, deputy U.S. CTO, will lead the office, according to a tweet from OSTP.
“The White House’s new National AI Initiative Office will be integral to the Federal government’s efforts to maintain this leadership position for many years to come,” said the White House release.
The office was a mandate of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020, which did not advance through Congress but made its way into law as part of the FY 21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill also sets a permanent role for the Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence and National AI Research Institutes, along with regular updates to the National AI Research and Development Strategic Plan.
“The passage of the National AI Initiative Act sends a signal to both our allies and adversaries that the United States will continue to be a global leader in the development and adoption of trustworthy artificial intelligence,” said Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, and Frank Lucas, R-Ok., in a December statement on the bill’s inclusion in the NDAA.