Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming our world. The field is an engine of innovation that is already driving scientific discovery, economic growth, and new jobs. AI is an integral component of solutions ranging from those that tackle routine daily tasks to societal-level challenges, while also giving rise to new challenges necessitating further study and action. Most Americans already interact with AI-based systems on a daily basis, such as those that help us find the best routes to work and school, select the items we buy, and ask our phones to remind us of upcoming appointments.
Once studied by few, AI courses are now among the most popular across America’s universities. AI-based companies are being founded and scaled at a rapid rate. Worldwide AI-related research publications and patent applications continue to climb.
However, this growth in the importance of AI to our future and the size of the AI community obscures the reality that the pathways to participate in AI research and development (R&D) often remain limited to those with access to certain essential resources. Progress at the current frontiers of AI is often tied to the use of large volumes of advanced computational power and data, and access to those resources today is too often limited to large technology companies and well-resourced universities. Consequently, the breadth of ideas and perspectives incorporated into AI innovations can be limited and lead to the creation of systems that perpetuate biases and other systemic inequalities.