UTSA recently joined a government collaboration devoted to promoting AI safety. The U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) aims to bring together government, university and industry researchers, AI creators and users and community groups to ensure the deployment of AI is trustworthy and safe. The AISIC includes more than 200 member organizations and institutions that are working to ensure that future AI systems will positively impact society.
UTSA’s decision to join the national consortium is one of many steps toward the university working to develop career-ready Roadrunners well-versed in the complexities of AI in the workplace. “We are proud to collaborate with this consortium to help lead the way in these cutting-edge fields and to continue to expand the university’s collective expertise for the benefit of the institution and our UTSA students,” says Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Heather Shipley.
According to Interim Executive Director of the School of Data Science and Interim Dean of University College Jianwei Niu, “The university’s combined assets, particularly within the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center, position UTSA to play a crucial role in advancing the mission of the consortium.”
Niu added that the former founding director of the School of Data Science (SDS) David Mongeau, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and SDS Associate Director for Academic Programs Adel Alaeddini, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Gabriela Ciocarlie and Associate Professor of Computer Science and SDS Associate Director of Research Paul Rad each played an essential part in the university’s efforts to join the AISIC.
By bringing together government, academia and industry, the AISIC aims to advance AI safety while also developing safe AI systems.“The U.S. government has a significant role to play in setting the standards and developing the tools we need to mitigate the risks and harness the immense potential of artificial intelligence,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
She added, “President Biden directed us to pull every lever to accomplish two key goals: set safety standards and protect our innovation ecosystem. That’s precisely what the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium is set up to help us do.”
For more information on UTSA’s initiative toward AI safety and the development of its new college of AI, check out The Paisano’s past coverage here.
