Dorothy Aronson, the general statistics officer at the National Science Foundation, has been appointed as the chief artificial intelligence officer for the organization as part of the initiatives following President Biden’s recent executive order on AI. Aronson, who currently serves as the chief knowledge officer at NSF, will be speaking at FedScoop’s ITModTalks event in Washington, D.C. on March 15, 2022.
Terry Carpenter, the senior director at NSF, mentioned in an interview that Aronson’s experience as the chief data officer positions her well to take on the role of the chief AI officer. The federal government agencies are mandated to designate a chief AI officer within 60 days of the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance. This official will be responsible for supervising AI usage, promoting AI development, and managing associated risks within the agency.
While some agencies are in the process of identifying their chief AI officers, others like the Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security already have established roles in place. The General Services Administration and the Department of Education have also named their respective AI officers.
Aronson highlighted her focus on enhancing NSF’s data quality and utilization capacity, emphasizing the importance of data in driving AI initiatives. As NSF finalizes the organizational structure related to AI functions, Carpenter is leading efforts to streamline IT operations and align with the goals set forth in the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act. Carpenter, who recently joined NSF after a tenure at the Department of Defense, is dedicated to optimizing the IT functions and strategic alignment within the organization.
