The National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource aims to facilitate AI research accessibility, aligning with President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI.
Authored by Emilia David, a tech, finance, and industry writer now with The Verge.
In a collaborative effort with AI developers, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and 10 other agencies are actively working to fulfill a portion of President Joe Biden’s AI executive order. This joint initiative includes the rollout of a pilot program focused on democratizing research access, as outlined by the administration.
The National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), overseen by the NSF, provides US-based AI researchers with access to AI models, computing resources, datasets, software, and training. Researchers can submit access requests through the NAIRR platform’s website, with a second call for research proposals scheduled for the upcoming spring. Once access is granted, researchers can utilize cost-effective, high-performance computing services like Microsoft Azure or Amazon Bedrock, typically necessitating research funding for utilization.
Apart from the NSF, key governmental stakeholders participating in the NAIRR project comprise the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the US Patent and Trademark Office. Collaborating with the government are 15 private sector partners, including Amazon Web Services, Anthropic, AMD, EleutherAI, Google, Hugging Face, IBM, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Palantir.
Nvidia and Microsoft have highlighted their individual contributions to the NAIRR initiative. Microsoft announced a $20 million Azure fund donation, access to Azure OpenAI Service resources, and tools dedicated to advancing AI ethics, fairness, and security. Nvidia, on the other hand, pledged access to its DGX Cloud and AI Enterprise program.
Sethuraman Panchanathan, the NSF director, stressed the significance of fostering nationwide AI innovation, expanding educational opportunities, and establishing global standards to propel economic growth. He emphasized the imperative of nurturing AI talent and broadening educational initiatives to uphold the US’s leadership in AI research and development.
President Biden’s AI procurement directive mandated the establishment of NAIRR to reinforce the US’s global standing in AI technology. While the US leads in funding and theoretical AI research, with major companies like Google and OpenAI headquartered in the nation, other countries are ramping up their focus on AI advancement. Nations such as China, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany are also making substantial investments in AI development, as per the Harvard Business Review.
The partnership between major tech corporations and the government in the AI sector has sparked concerns regarding regulatory oversight. Preceding the AI executive order’s issuance, the Biden administration secured voluntary commitments from tech behemoths like Meta, Google, and OpenAI to ensure responsible AI deployment. Nonetheless, the potential for regulatory capture due to the close relationship between the government and big tech remains a lingering issue even post the NAIRR launch.
The initial phase of the NAIRR initiative will concentrate on four primary areas: bolstering connectivity among AI platforms, facilitating secure and privacy-centric AI research, and offering education and training on AI tools. The NSF’s initial projects under NAIRR aim to implement AI solutions in the fields of healthcare and sustainable economic development.
