Jan 24th, 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation and collaborating agencies launched the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot.
AI holds the potential to accelerate discovery and innovation and help solve critical societal and global challenges. However, many researchers lack the necessary access to the computing, data, software and educational resources needed to fully conduct their research and to train the next generation of researchers. The NAIRR aims to bridge this gap and ensure that AI resources and tools are accessible to the broad research and education communities in a manner that advances trustworthy AI and protects privacy, civil rights and civil liberties. The purpose of the NAIRR Pilot is to demonstrate the NAIRR concept and advance its main goals, namely to spur innovation, increase diversity of talent, improve capacity, and advance safe, secure, and trustworthy AI in research and society.
Led by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with 10 other federal agencies and 25 non-governmental partners, the pilot makes available government-funded, industry and other contributed resources in support of the nation's research and education community. The collaborative nature of the pilot, bringing together academia, industry, nonprofit and government sectors, is intended to promote cross-sector partnerships. Industry collaboration can lead to the development of commercially viable AI applications and solutions, fostering economic growth by creating new markets and revenue streams.
The NAIRR pilot will run for two years, beginning January 24, 2024. The pilot will broadly support fundamental, translational and use-inspired AI-related research with particular emphasis on societal challenges. Initial priority topics include safe, secure and trustworthy AI; human health; and environment and infrastructure. A broader array of priority areas will be supported as the pilot progresses. The pilot will also support educators to train students on responsible use and development of AI technologies by providing access to infrastructure and training resources. Researchers, educators and students can discover and apply for initial access to NAIRR pilot resources, including AI-ready datasets, pre-trained models and other resources associated with the NAIRR pilot, through the NAIRR pilot portal at nairrpilot.org.
The pilot's operations will be organized into four focus areas:
NAIRR Open, led by NSF, will enable open AI research through access to diverse AI resources via the NAIRR Pilot Portal and coordinated allocations.
NAIRR Secure, co-led by NIH and DOE, will enable AI research requiring privacy and security-preserving resources and will assemble exemplar privacy preserving resources.
NAIRR Software, led by NSF, will facilitate and investigate inter-operable use of AI software, platforms, tools and services for NAIRR pilot resources.
NAIRR Classroom, led by NSF, will reach new communities through education, training, user support and outreach.
"We at OpenAI are immensely excited to be a part of the NAIRR pilot. This pivotal step towards democratizing AI research resources aligns with our commitment to advancing the field of artificial intelligence in a way that is inclusive and beneficial for all. By providing broader access to essential tools and data, we are opening doors for a diverse range of talents and ideas, furthering innovation and ensuring that AI development continues to be a force for the greater good." —Anna Makanju, Vice President of Global Affairs, OpenAI.