Advancing American AI through National Public-Private Partnerships for AI Research
Summary
The Biden-Harris Administration should launch a national initiative to bring together academic and industry researchers and practitioners in a public-private partnership (PPP) to advance, at scale, the research foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application in areas of economic advantage and national need. The National Public-Private Partnership in AI (NPPP-AI) Initiative would initially create 10 coordinated national AI R&D Institutes, each with 10-year lifetimes and jointly funded by industry partners and the U.S. government through its research agencies at $10M/year each (10x10x10).
NPPP-AI would accelerate future breakthroughs in AI foundations, enable a virtuous cycle between foundational and use-inspired research that would rapidly transition into practice innovations that contribute to U.S. economic and national security, as well as grow education and workforce capacity by linking university faculty and students with industry professionals, settings, and jobs.
It’s paramount to balance both innovation capabilities and risk as we work towards ensuring that the U.S. bioeconomy is a priority area for both the Nation and for National Security.
The Federation of American Scientists supports the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology’s Final Report and the Recommendations contained within it.
The U.S. should create a new non-governmental Innovation Accelerator modeled after the successful In-Q-Tel program to invest in small and mid-cap companies creating technologies that address critical needs of the United States.
To sustain America’s leadership in AI innovation, accelerate adoption across the economy, and guarantee that AI systems remain secure and trustworthy, we offer a set of policy recommendations.