National Science and Technology Council epub National Artificial Intelligence R&D Strategic Plan: 2019 Update

In his State of the Union address on February 5, 2019, President Trump stressed the importance of ensuring American leadership in the development of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), that make up the Industries of the Future. Reflecting this importance, on February 11, 2019, President Trump signed Executive Order 13859, which established the American Artificial Intelligence Initiative. This Initiative is a whole-of-government approach for maintaining American leadership in AI and ensuring that AI benefits the American people and reflects our Nation’s values. The first directive in this Executive Order is for Federal agencies to prioritize AI research and development (R&D) in their annual budgeting and planning process. The attached National AI R&D Strategic Plan: 2019 Update highlights the key priorities for Federal investment in AI R&D.Artificial intelligence presents tremendous opportunities that are leading to breakthroughs in improved healthcare, safer and more efficient transportation, personalized education, significant scientific discoveries, improved manufacturing, increased agricultural crop yields, better weather forecasting, and much more. These benefits are largely due to decades of long-term Federal investments in fundamental AI R&D, which have led to new theories and approaches for AI systems, as well as applied research that allows the translation of AI into practical applications.The landscape for AI R&D is becoming increasingly complex, due to the significant investments that are being made by industry, academia, and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, AI advancements are progressing rapidly. The Federal Government must therefore continually reevaluate its priorities for AI R&D investments, to ensure that investments continue to advance the cutting edge of the field and are not unnecessarily duplicative of industry investments.While this Plan does not define specific research agendas for Federal agency investments, it does provide an expectation for the overall portfolio for Federal AI R&D investments. This coordinated Federal strategy for AI R&D will help the United States continue to lead the world in cutting-edge advances in AI that will grow our economy, increase our national security, and improve quality of life.