NAIRR pilot: NSF and Tech Giants Join Forces to Boost AI Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has launched a new initiative to accelerate AI research and innovation in the US. The National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot is a collaboration between the NSF and some of the leading tech companies and nonprofits in the AI field.

What is the NAIRR pilot?

The NAIRR pilot is a two-year program that aims to create a national resource for researchers and educators to access state-of-the-art AI technologies. The program will provide access to hardware, models, and data that are essential for advancing the AI ecosystem.

The goal of the NAIRR pilot is to ensure that the US remains at the forefront of AI research and development and to foster a diverse and inclusive AI workforce. The program will also enable the US to shape international standards and policies for AI and to leverage AI for social and economic benefits.

Who are the partners of the NAIRR pilot?

The NAIRR pilot is a joint effort between the NSF and several federal agencies, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Agriculture.

The program also involves some of the biggest names in AI, such as Amazon, Anthropic, Hugging Face, IBM, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Palantir, among others. These tech companies and nonprofits are making in-kind contributions to the program, such as providing computing power, models, and datasets.

Some of the contributions include:

• Amazon: Support for 20 research projects
• Anthropic: Access to Claude model for 10 climate change researchers
• Hugging Face: 100 compute grants
• IBM: Datasets and benchmarks
• Microsoft: $20 million in computing credits for Azure
• Nvidia: $30 million in support, including $24 million for DGX platform

How will the NAIRR pilot benefit the AI community?

The NAIRR pilot will benefit the AI community by providing access to high-powered AI technologies that are otherwise concentrated and difficult to access for many researchers and educators, especially those from smaller colleges, rural areas, and minority institutions.

The program will enable various use cases, such as:

• Investigating the validation and verification of large models
• Providing students with access to AI systems
• Exploring new applications and domains of AI
• Developing ethical and responsible AI practices

The NAIRR pilot will also foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among the AI community, and create opportunities for innovation and education.

The NAIRR pilot is part of President Biden’s AI executive order, which calls for a national strategy to advance AI research and development. The program is expected to serve as a framework for how the government and the private sector can work together to advance AI technologies in the future.

What is the impact of AI on society?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful technology capable of transforming various aspects of society, including the economy, health, education, environment, and justice. However, AI presents some challenges and risks, including ethical, social, and legal implications. As a result, it is critical to understand the impact of AI on society and how to ensure that it is used responsibly and beneficially.

To mitigate the negative effects of AI on society while maximizing the positive effects, AI must be developed and implemented in an ethical, human-centered, and common-good-oriented manner. This requires the collaboration and participation of a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, developers, policymakers, regulators, users, and civil society, as well as the establishment and enforcement of AI principles, guidelines, and best practices.

Furthermore, the public must be educated and empowered in order to become informed and engaged in the development and application of artificial intelligence.