OREM — At this point, the cat is out of the bag when it comes to artificial intelligence.
Whether used for work or play, it’s become an undeniable fixture in day-to-day life for many.
“It’s clear that AI is transforming every aspect of our lives. It’s driving innovation, accelerating innovation, discoveries (and) amplifying impact on science and society. It’s really impacting every aspect of what we do,” said Manish Parashar, director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute at the University of Utah.
But, can AI be harnessed responsibly, making it accessible to everyone and driving transformative innovation and societal progress? That question was at the heart of Parashar’s message as he spoke during the second annual Silicon Slopes AI Summit in Orem on Thursday.
Parashar is certainly well-versed in artificial intelligence, carrying years of experience on the topic.
Before his role at the U., he was formerly director of the National Science Foundation’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure and co-chairman of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource task force; he also led development of the national strategic plan for the Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem as co-chairman of a subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council.
Still, Parashar views AI’s role quite simply — as a tool.
“It can be used to really be a tremendous amplifier, accelerator of human ability if used properly,” Parashar said. “But it can also have a lot of problems and we see this every day. Hallucinations, misinformation, bias — and that’s partly because of the nature of the algorithm and how it is developed and partly because it has the ability to amplify impact.”
With this in mind, the U. has tasked Parashar with heading up its $100 million Responsible AI Initiative to advance AI in a way that achieves “societal good” while also protecting privacy, civil rights and liberties and promoting principles of accountability, transparency and equity, the university said.
Parashar said this initiative will also be looking into issues that impact Utahns the most, such as air quality, water sustainability and workforce demands.
When discussing the barrier of responsible AI use, Parashar said with greater inclusivity in AI, its ability to act as a societal driver can be heightened.
“There are many barriers here. There is … well-documented barriers to contributing (and) participating in the AI (research and development) ecosystem,” Parashar said. “There is the technology dimension, like on the algorithms, the infrastructure. The policy and regulation dimension and then the workforce training dimension. And we have to bring all of these together if you want to responsibly advance AI.”
Thankfully, he said, there are frameworks in place at the national level to help make this happen. They include the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 which recognizes the transformative impact of AI and explores how it can be built in a responsible manner.
Additionally, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed a framework for risk management when it comes to AI.
I think we are very uniquely positioned in Utah to take on a leadership role by bringing these dimensions together.
– Manish Parashar, U. AI expert
“When you’re building your AI products, you can think about the risks involved,” Parashar said. “As a company, as a researcher, developing AI — you can do that in a responsible way.”
Included in the National Artificial Intelligence Act is a concept of a national AI research resource, with the idea of democratizing access to the research so more players can participate in the AI revolution.
Still, there are plenty of questions for the best and brightest in the field of AI to sink their teeth into.
“How do you make sure that when you’re looking at the technical challenges, you’re also thinking of the ethical (challenges)? And how you you look at the social technical challenges and how do you train the next generation to balance technical advancement with the social technical aspects in a responsible way?” Parashar said.
To this end, he suggested a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, bringing experts in a plethora of disciplines like technology, engineering, science and the humanities to the table when exploring AI.
And he thinks Utah — with its innovative nature — is uniquely situated to do just that.
“We have this mix where there’s innovation in industry, there’s this support from the Legislature and there is this deep research going on in the universities. So, I think we are very uniquely positioned in Utah to take on a leadership role by bringing these dimensions together,” Parashar said.
“How do we connect the pieces — the innovation, the translation — with the regulation, with the technology and the research? So, we’re trying to see how we can do that,” he added.
