Mark Kennedy, Member of BGF Board of Thinkers
As submitted to the Office of Science and Technology Policy in response to a Request For Information asking for input for their upcoming US AI Action Plan
Action Steps to Strengthen US AI Leadership and Economic Competitiveness
- Invest in AI Talent Pipeline– China graduates twice the number of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) PhDs as the US. With the US ranking near the bottom in the percentage of graduates pursuing STEM fields, it has long relied on attracting the world’s best and brightest. Visas for Chinese students and academics have fallen by two-thirds since peaking in 2015. A recent surge in students from India is taking up some of the slack. It is important that policies and a welcoming environment continue to attract the global AI talent essential to US tech leadership while also investing more in STEM education for American students.
- Provide Access to High-Performance Compute Power– Establish a national AI compute network to support research universities. Increase domestic semiconductor production and high-performance computing (HPC) resources to support AI research and private-sector innovation. Gain a decisive lead in emerging technologies that promise faster and greener compute power, such as optical computing (using laser light waves), neuromorphic computing (modeled after systems in the human brain), and quantum computing (using subatomic particles).
- Secure Data– Secure access to unbiased, high-quality data for US AI researchers. Consider which datasets should be restricted from strategic competitors. Counter China’s growing control over the data flowing through global telecommunications (Huawei, ZTE) and logistics (LOGINK) software, while promoting secure, US-aligned alternatives.
- Fund Research– Fully fund research as authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act, prioritizing AI and other technologies that will shape tomorrow like quantum, biotech and nanotechnology. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), China recently overtook the US in research funding at universities and government entities. Unless funding trends are reversed China will soon overtake the US in total research funding. The US must ensure American institutions remain the world’s AI research hubs.
- Invest in AI for Economic Competitiveness– Support AI-driven innovation across key industries (healthcare, manufacturing, energy, finance) by incentivizing AI adoption in small businesses and expanding AI-driven workforce training programs. The goal should be for AI to enhance productivity and job creation to ensure continued opportunities for American workers.
Action Steps to Address AI’s Societal Risks
- Strengthen AI Transparent Government Use– Promote AI usage to provide 24/7 government services in a transparent manner, enhancing the availability and ease of accessing government services while maintaining trust and accountability.
- Combat AI-Powered Disinformation While Preserving Free Speech –Work with AI firms to advance voluntary content labeling, misinformation detection, and deepfake protections—without empowering censorship frameworks that could restrict political discourse.
Please see full here: https://bostonglobalforum.org/publication/14916/
