Academic Partnership Among NSF Priorities in AI Development Programs

The National Science Foundation’s Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society is one standout among programs prioritizing the use of trustworthy systems in industries where artificial intelligence will make an impact.

A joint NSF program with the National Institute for Standards and Technology, TRAILS has tapped the University of Maryland, George Washington University and Morgan State University as partners. 

According to Michael Littman, NSF division director for information and intelligence systems, the partnership will encourage broader participation of the AI research community and inform the public on how the government analyzes AI system implementation, NextGov/FCW reported.

Besides TRAILS, which received a $20 million NSF-NIST award, the NSF has provided a total of $100 million in funding to other academic research on AI literacy and utilizing the technology in learning environments.

The NSF is funding another institute focused on how to utilize AI systems in the classroom, according to Amy Baylor, lead program director for the NSF’s Research in Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning.

The NSF indicated in May that it will establish seven new AI research institutes, investing a total of $140 million and bringing to 25 the total number of government institutes researching the technology.