The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget have issued a memorandum outlining the current administration’s research and development priorities to guide federal agencies as they formulate their budget submissions for fiscal year 2025.
One of the multiagency R&D priorities is advancing trustworthy artificial intelligence systems that safeguard people’s rights and safety, according to the White House memo released Thursday.
Arati Prabhakar, head of OSTP and a previous Wash100 awardee, and OMB Director Shalanda Young signed the memo.
Budget submissions of agencies should fund R&D efforts to develop tools and drive community engagement to guide the design of enforcement and regulatory regimes for mitigating AI threats of trust, truth and democracy; design and pilot the results of new approaches to apply AI to improve government functions and public services; and build trustworthy AI systems that could enable the country to achieve its aspirations.
The document calls on agencies to back R&D that support the development of national security technologies and mitigate critical risks to national security amid geopolitical changes.
Measures include advancing emerging tech areas such as biotechnology, microelectronics and quantum information science; mitigating cybersecurity risks through resilient architectures; addressing the national security impacts of AI and autonomous systems; and harnessing science and technology intelligence and analytic capabilities to assess and benchmark U.S. competitiveness.
Agency submissions should advance the administration’s climate goals by reimagining infrastructure and securing environmental justice; achieve better health outcomes for each individual; reduce barriers and inequities; strengthen the country’s research system; and build up the R&D and industrial innovation that will drive the nation’s future economic competitiveness.
