Responsible AI Initiative Seeks to Solve Societal Problems
As the former office director of the National Science Foundation’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure and co-chair of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force, Parashar is a leader in developing AI and computing infrastructures. He led the development of the national strategic plan for the Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem as co-chair of a subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council.
“The University of Utah is poised to lead the way in the development of responsible artificial intelligence,” said Provost Mitzi Montoya. “Our investment in this initiative is indicative of our commitment to forge new frontiers in our quest for understanding. The ripple effects of this investment will impact all aspects of our state from the technical and social to the economic and environmental.”
As part of the project, the U will establish an internal governance council and external advisory board of national and global AI leaders to provide advice and guidance, as well as expand its faculty by hiring clusters of experts focused on grand challenges. The investment will also include enhancing faculty support structures and building a cutting-edge cyberinfrastructure that will advance AI capabilities globally. By creating a widely-accessible advanced cyberinfrastructure that ties computational resources, data, testbeds, algorithms, software, services, networks and user training and expertise, the initiative will create new opportunities for progress across all fields and disciplines. Increased access will create opportunities for ethical AI guardrails, including AI auditing, testing and evaluation, bias mitigation, and safety.
“There is a potential for AI to positively impact the everyday lives of people across the world. It is an exciting time to explore the possibilities and value this technology may bring,” said Alan Fuller, chief information officer for the State of Utah. “With a statewide goal of improving innovation and government services through the use of technology, we are excited to see the ways this project can enhance our operations in the future. This is one benefit of investing in a top research institution that has the potential of impacting our lives for the better.”
The SCI Institute, which was originally formed as a research group in 1994, is a research institute where faculty, staff and students collaborate closely with others on campus and around the nation to shape the future of advanced computing and its applications. It is internationally recognized as a leader in visualization, scientific computing and image analysis.
More information about the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute can be found here.
Amy Choate-Nielsen is Director of communications and PR, University of Utah. The article was originally posted to the website of the University of Utah.
