A university in the United States was awarded $20 million in federal funding to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) institute.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reportedly received funding for its new AI Institute for Societal Decision Making, as reported by a local news source.
The institute will promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid in decision-making processes in social situations such as natural disasters and public health emergencies.
The institute’s director is Aarti Singh, a professor in the university’s machine learning department.
She stated that one of the primary objectives will be to develop AI that is “human-centric.”
“We need to develop AI technology that works for the people… It’s actually built on data that is vetted, algorithms that are vetted, with feedback from all the stakeholders and participatory design.”
Singh explained that she believes AI can be crucial in helping decision-makers and government officials make more informed decisions in various situations.
While developing and training the new technology, institute researchers will consult with public health officials, emergency managers, community workers, and behavioral and cognitive scientists.
In addition, Singh emphasized that the ethical use of AI is a “central goal” at the institute and that developers and researchers must be “careful” in the process.
“I think one of the key things is making sure that we are engaging with AI in an ethical way so that it is deployed when it’s needed.”
This is occurring as governments worldwide begin to examine the use of AI in policymaking and the necessary regulations to maintain it.
Recently, the Romanian government unveiled an artificial intelligence chatbot that will crowdsource public engagement and help inform policy decisions.
Other world powers, including the United States and China, are considering new regulations for the technology.
In the European Union, legislators are nearing the completion of a new AI Act focusing on generative AI tools.