US secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo has announced additional members of the executive leadership team of the US AI Safety Institute (AISI), which is housed at the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST).
Raimondo named Paul Christiano as head of AI safety, Adam Russell as chief vision officer, Mara Campbell as acting chief operating officer and chief of staff, Rob Reich as senior advisor, and Mark Latonero as head of international engagement.
They will join AISI director Elizabeth Kelly and chief technology officer Elham Tabassi.
The AISIwas established within NIST at the direction of President Biden, including to support the responsibilities assigned to the Department of Commerce under the president’s landmark Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development & Use of Artificial Intelligence issued in October 2023.
“To safeguard our global leadership on responsible AI and ensure we’re equipped to fulfil our mission to mitigate the risks of AI and harness its benefits, we need the top talent our nation has to offer. That is precisely why we’ve selected these individuals, who are the best in their fields, to join the US AI Safety Institute executive leadership team,” said Raimondo.
“Developing guidelines that will strengthen our safety and security, engaging with civil society and business, and working in lockstep with our allies are fundamental to addressing this generation-defining technology. Because of President Biden’s leadership, we’re cultivating the talent pool necessary to achieve these critical goals.”
‘Seize the promise of AI while managing risks’
“At the direction of President Joe Biden, the United States government is moving fast and using every tool at our disposal to seize the promise of AI while managing the risks,” said Bruce Reed, White House deputy chief of staff.
“One of the best levers we have to get this right is to bring in the experts from civil society to tech innovators to scientists. We are building a strong team across government to keep pace with this technology, protect our interests, and shape it in accordance with our values.”
Laurie E Locascio, NIST director and undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology, added: “I am very pleased to welcome these talented experts to the US AI Safety Institute leadership team to help establish the measurement science that will support the development of AI that is safe and trustworthy.
“They each bring unique experiences that will help the institute build a solid foundation for AI safety going into the future.”
