The Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, established in 1958, is responsible for advancing the state of the art in defense science and technology. The agency’s structure, priorities and budget are discussed in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. See Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: Overview and Issues for Congress, February 2, 2018.
(For a lively and revealing history of DARPA, see Sharon Weinberger’s recent book The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency That Changed the World, Knopf, 2017.)
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Resolutions to Censure the President: Procedure and History, February 1, 2018
Evolving Assessments of Human and Natural Contributions to Climate Change, February 1, 2018
Real Wage Trends, 1979 to 2016, January 30, 2018
Gun Control: Concealed Carry Legislation in the 115th Congress, CRS Insight, January 30, 2018
Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti, and El Salvador: Key Takeaways and Analysis, CRS Legal Sidebar, February 2, 2018
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2018 Appropriations, February 5, 2018
The Balkans and Russia, CRS Insight, January 31, 2018
Iraq: In Brief, February 6, 2018
Al Qaeda and U.S. Policy: Middle East and Africa, February 5, 2018
U.S. Security Assistance and Security Cooperation Programs: Overview of Funding Trends, February 1, 2018
The 2018 National Defense Strategy, CRS Insight, February 5, 2018
The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions, updated February 5, 2018
New Nuclear Warheads: Legislative Provisions, CRS Insight, February 5, 2018
Criminal Prohibitions on Disclosing the Identities of Covert Intelligence Assets, CRS Legal Sidebar, February 6, 2018
These ideas aim to advance the detailed policy solutions needed to foster public trust and implement fairness in the adoption of AI across diverse domains, from healthcare and government benefits to rural access, education, and worker protections.
The evidence is clear: algorithmic pay-setting is established in app-based work, and payroll/timekeeping failures show how software can produce systemic wage harm at scale
While a few states have taken steps to implement decision-making mechanisms for certain AI systems, too many leaders are simply accepting narratives about AI’s purported public benefit at face value – jumping to the “how” of AI implementation before thoroughly vetting potential systems and deciding whether they are appropriate to use at all.
When properly structured — with specific numeric targets, secured financial obligations, independent monitoring, and meaningful enforcement — CBAs transform data center deals into durable community partnerships.