MITRE has highlighted the importance of investment and public-private partnerships in research and development to promote invention and drive innovation in the field of artificial intelligence.
The nonprofit company said Wednesday the U.S. government should invest in AI research grand challenges, enable investments in “federal frontier labs,” advance AI assurance research for trusted innovation and secure American AI research.
The recommendations were in response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s request for information to help inform the development of its 2025 national AI R&D strategic plan.
AI Research Grand Challenges
MITRE has recommended that the AI strategic plan establish AI Grand Challenges that will align federal research investments with national interests and bring together government, industry and academia. Grand Challenge problems could help unite key stakeholders around critical missions.
Research focus areas of AI Grand Challenges should include biotechnology, semiconductors, domestic energy, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, national security, and efficient and effective government.
Federal Frontier Labs
According to MITRE, federal frontier labs, or FFLs, could serve as hubs for public-private partnerships designed to position the U.S. as a leader in next-generation AI innovation and facilitate academic partnerships focused on research critical to U.S. long-term competitiveness.
FFLs should prioritize open science, defense and intelligence. In defense, such labs could help improve predictive maintenance, supply chains and cyber operations.
AI Assurance for Trusted Innovation
The nonprofit corporation noted that AI assurance research should focus on creating reusable methods for discovering assurance needs; characterizing and prioritizing risks; evaluating risks; and managing risks.
AI Research Security
To protect AI research and advancements, the U.S. government should implement several security measures such as implementing robust cybersecurity to safeguard AI research, data and emerging intellectual property from theft, breaches and other cyber attacks; securing infrastructure to protect large facility investments underpinning frontier AI research; collecting science and technology intelligence on adversary AI programs; and understanding vulnerabilities, threats and risks to AI tech adoption.
