CMU Dean Appointed to National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee
CMU Continues National Recognition as a Leader in Responsible AI
Ramayya Krishnan, Dean of CMU’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC). The appointment recognizes the leadership, expertise and ground-breaking work from the university, which is considered the birthplace of artificial intelligence (AI).
Krishnan and 26 other experts are the first appointments to the recently created committee, which will advise the President and the National AI Initiative Office on a range of issues related to the field.
“I am pleased that Dean Ramayya Krishnan will contribute his experience and expertise in public policy to the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee,” said Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian. “Dean Krishnan is a proven scholar who has brought socially responsible applications of machine learning and AI to the forefront of national discussions on U.S. competitiveness. His appointment will continue CMU’s history of advancing inclusive policy and technology solutions for the benefit of society, and the CMU community could not be prouder of his service to the nation.”
“At Carnegie Mellon, there is a strong focus on the ethical development, deployment, and adoption of AI and how it can be harnessed for social good,” said Krishnan. “I am honored to be among the experts appointed to the NAIAC, and I look forward to contributing to a process that will allow the United States to lead innovation in this space and improve the quality of life for everyone.”
The NAIAC was created in response to the National AI Initiative Act of 2020, to provide recommendations to the President and the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office on matters related to the National AI Initiative, including U.S. leadership in AI research and development, U.S. development and implementation of trustworthy AI systems, preparation of the U.S. workforce for AI integration, and the coordination of ongoing AI research, development and demonstration activities among civilian agencies, the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community.
“AI is already transforming the world as we know it, including science, medicine, transportation, communications and access to goods and services,” said the head of the Office of Science and Technology and Deputy Assistant to the President Alondra Nelson. “The expertise of the NAIAC will be critical in helping to ensure the United States leads the world in the ethical development and adoption of AI, provides inclusive employment and education opportunities for the American public, and protects civil rights and civil liberties in our digital age.”
As faculty director of CMU’s Block Center for Technology and Society, home to CMU’s Responsible AI Initiative and to the innovative cross-disciplinary work on educational technologies and workforce futures, Krishnan was recognized for his leadership and innovative work in the field. The Center’s initiatives brings together researchers and educators spanning computer science, engineering, decision sciences, philosophy, arts, economics, psychology, public policy, statistics, and business to ensure that AI is designed, developed and deployed in a manner that ensures accountability and transparency.
Krishnan is the W. W. Cooper and Ruth F. Cooper Professor of Management Science and Information Systems at Heinz College and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at CMU. A faculty member at CMU since 1988, Krishnan was appointed Dean of the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy in 2009. He is an American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fellow (section T), an INFORMS Fellow and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. In 2019, he served as President of INFORMS, the largest association for the decision and data sciences.
Other members of the committee include leaders from Google, Salesforce, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Stanford University, and others. Committee members will serve three-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms at the discretion of the secretary.
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About Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is home to two internationally recognized graduate-level institutions at Carnegie Mellon University: the School of Information Systems and Management and the School of Public Policy and Management. This unique colocation combined with its expertise in analytics set Heinz College apart in the areas of cybersecurity, health care, the future of work, smart cities, and arts & entertainment. In 2016, INFORMS named Heinz College the #1 academic program for Analytics Education. For more information, please visit www.heinz.cmu.edu.