The National Science Foundation (NSF) is setting up seven new institutes for studying foundational AI. Two of the initiatives have healthcare as a prime focus. Key facts to know about the development:
NSF is allocating $140 million to get the multipronged expansion up and running. Foundational AI can train on mass jumbles of raw data to help solve a broad range of problems. The spend is part of a federal effort to “advance a cohesive approach to AI-related opportunities and risks,” according to the agency.
Traditionally, most NSF interests lie outside of medicine. Its sister agency the NIH handles those. The NSF has an annual operating budget a bit below $10 billion while NIH’s yearly allowance sits at around $45 billion (pending a bump to more than $51 billion proposed by the Biden Administration).
The two nascent institutes extending the NSF’s reach into healthcare are the AI Institute for Societal Decision Making (AI-SDM) and the AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI).
- AI-SDM will innovate human-centric AI to help manage public health emergencies as well as general disaster responses. The initiative is led by Carnegie Mellon University.
- ARNI is tasked with using AI to build understanding of the human brain. The work is spearheaded by Columbia University and will corral researchers from neuroscience, cognitive science and AI.
These and the other five new AI institutes will study the technology’s emerging risks and harms. They’ll also seek to diversify the AI workforce in the U.S. The NSF says the $140 million allotment brings the agency’s total investment in AI institute to almost half a billion dollars, adding that much of the outlay is shared with other funding sources.
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar:
“These strategic federal investments will advance American AI infrastructure and innovation, so that AI can help tackle some of the biggest challenges we face, from climate change to health. Importantly, the growing network of National AI Research Institutes will promote responsible innovation that safeguards people’s safety and rights.”
Full announcement here.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.