In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), the dialogue often veers between the extremes of stringent regulation, like the European Union’s AI Act, and laissez-faire approaches that risk unbridled technological advances without sufficient safeguards. Amidst this polarized debate, the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) has emerged as a promising alternative approach that addresses the ethical, social, and economic complexities introduced by AI, while also supporting continued innovation.  

The capabilities of AI promise not only efficiency but potentially a more accessible interface for citizens. As governments begin to integrate these technologies into their service-delivery mechanisms, it is imperative to approach the adoption with due diligence, guided by robust frameworks like NIST’s AI RMF. With a combination of strategic foresight, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building, governments can harness the power of AI to truly transform public service, making it more responsive and citizen-centric than ever before.

There is an incredible amount of excitement and confusion around what this wave of generative AI means for education. These technologies are rapidly improving, and developers are introducing capabilities that would have been considered science fiction just a few years ago. In my latest Education Next piece, I provide an overview of generative AI and explore how this technology will influence how students learn, how teachers work, and ultimately how we structure our education system.

Over the past decade, many have been disappointed by the unfulfilled promises of technology transforming education. However, recent advancements in AI, such as OpenAI's GPT-4, may signal a genuine breakthrough. These large-language models have smarter capabilities, function as reasoning engines, use language as an interface, and are scaling rapidly thanks to tech giants. As a result, AI-powered tutoring and teaching assistants are emerging to provide individualized learning, automate administrative tasks, and offer constructive critiques on student writing. While there are limitations, it is expected that future iterations will address these issues. Harnessing AI's potential could lead to a future where education is more effective, equitable, and personalized, with teachers focusing on fostering meaningful connections with their students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the urgency for state governments to improve digital service delivery and address long-standing technology challenges. The Tech Talent Project, in collaboration with AEI, the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University, and New America, has released a report offering guidance for states to build technical capacity and avoid past pitfalls. I had the privilege of co-chairing this effort with Cecilia Muñoz Former Assistant to the President and Director, White House Domestic Policy Council.

The rise of AI technologies like ChatGPT promises to boost global GDP by 7% in a decade, according to Goldman Sachs. However, this may disrupt 63% of US jobs, including higher-skilled professions like auditors and interpreters. These AI tools will change the nature of work, shifting focus from mundane tasks to more advanced, human-centric activities. Surprisingly, AI could benefit the least skilled workers, narrowing the performance gap among employees. While job displacement is inevitable, the larger disruption may be the creation of new, hybrid jobs combining domain expertise with AI skills. Policymakers must proactively invest in education and workforce training to ease these transitions and capitalize on AI's productivity potential.

OpenAI. Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology and the Stanford Internet Observatory wrote a provocative report surfacing misinformation risks posed by AI.   The report provides a thoughtful framework through which to think about the threat of AI-enabled influence operations and some of the steps that can minimize those risks along with their associated trade-offs.

Just over a week ago, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that uses a massive dataset to generate human-like responses to text-based inputs. In just five days, the chatbot reached over one million users, a milestone that took Facebook almost a year to achieve when it first launched. As we continue to develop and advance this technology, it will undoubtedly have a significant effect on the future of work and the way we approach tasks and responsibilities. It is important that we carefully consider how we can use AI to its full potential while also mitigating any possible negative effects. By doing so, we can ensure that AI will be a powerful and positive force for change.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) continues to wrestle with how to best regulate prediction markets. The commission is expected to make a decision as soon as this week on whether the startup Kalshi can offer a market on the outcome of the upcoming midterms. Election prediction markets have proven to be a powerful tool for forecasting elections and are typically more accurate, timely, and complete than conventional methods. Kalshi’s proposal does not pose a risk to the integrity of the US election system. Approving Kalshi’s submission would be a step in the right direction for the commission and promotes the public interest

On September 22, the Senate confirmed Arati Prabhakar as White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) director, the first woman of color and immigrant to hold the position. Prabhakar is uniquely suited for navigating these challenges. She previously headed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. She held several roles in Silicon Valley, including with the early-stage venture firm US Venture Partners, and she recently founded the nonprofit Actuate, which seeks to bring new actors to the table in developing solutions for areas such as climate, health, and trustworthy data. She will be able to draw on that public and private sector experience to shape how agencies stand up these new programs and design the guidelines and rules for new funding streams.

Senate leaders are expected to release updated text on a slimmed-down set of bills to bolster the US semiconductor chip industry. The measures will likely include $52 billion in subsidies and an investment tax credit to boost US manufacturing, but the rest of the Bipartisan Innovation Act (BIA) remains in limbo at a time when more urgent action is needed. Strengthening America’s leadership in science and innovation tomorrow will depend on three crucial areas of investments needed today in bolstering semiconductor manufacturing, boosting federal R&D, and addressing the talent gap.

For the first time, the presidential transition process will receive technology-focused agency review briefs — written by expert technologists and policymakers, who themselves served in the agencies — to assess the current technological capacity, critical items for the first 200 days, and key technical leadership positions for 2021.

I’ve had the chance to do a few aerial flights with FLYNYON and loved experiencing the city from a different perspective. But nothing prepared me for the beauty of the city at night, nor how powerful it would be to see the Tribute of Light on the 18th anniversary of the horrific attacks of 9/11. Incredible tribute to those lost, but also a symbol of resolve and resiliency.

For decades Americans have had the chance to invest in emerging markets all around the world. Now they have the chance to invest in America’s own emerging markets and finance the comeback story so many communities have been waiting to write.

By now, it is almost routine to see columns sounding the alarm about millions of existing jobs at risk of being automated. However, the real risk is that we do not have a system ready to equip people with the skills needed to fill millions of new and modified jobs that will result from the rise of AI.