Public Forum: Accelerating AI in the Public Sector

On Wednesday, March 16, the Data Coalition Initiative hosted a public forum for industry, academia, non-profits, state and local governments, and the general public to share perspectives and hear recommendations for how to best use artificial intelligence (AI) in public sector regulation.

The national policy framework for accelerating the use of AI research and adoption in government advanced rapidly in recent years: Congress passed the National AI Initiative Act and the AI in Government Act, and the Biden Administration launched the National AI Research Resource Task Force, among other actions. These policy actions demonstrate a firm belief from Congress and the White House that AI and machine learning hold tremendous potential for improving how the government delivers serves the American people.

Speakers shared practical solutions that address major issues, particularly the following:

Data Protection and Privacy – What new safeguards should be considered as AI applications are expanded in scope, scale, and linkage capabilities? How can data used to train AI be better protected? What new infrastructure may be needed to ensure protections align with expectations and needs?

Workforce – What are the skills that the workforce needs to be successful in adopting data literacy, AI, and advanced analytical methods? How does the government develop modern, coherent processes for better recruiting and then retaining talent?

Equity, Accountability, and Transparency – How can equity be prioritized in government’s AI adoption, including improvements that advance equity? How should government AI systems be accountable in regulation and budget processes?

Financial Services and Compliance – What are the approaches for aligning the use of AI in RegTech frameworks for decision-making?

Public feedback gathered during this open stakeholder forum will be shared with federal agency partners and made publicly available to support implementation of the National AI Initiative Act, AI in Government Act, and other AI initiatives in 2022 using participatory processes and public-private engagement.