UnidosUS Announces Participation in Department of Commerce Consortium Dedicated to AI Safety

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, announced that it joined more than 200 of the nation’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) stakeholders to participate in a Department of Commerce initiative to support the development and deployment of trustworthy and safe AI.

Established by the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) will bring together AI creators and users, academics, government and industry researchers and civil society organizations to meet this mission.

“Technological tools are only as strong and fair as the governance framework that guides them. Building on the NIST Risk Management Framework, the US AI Safety Institute Consortium is an essential effort to ground-truth principles in practices and standards so that democratic values like fairness, transparency, equity and accountability are incorporated into technology as a matter of durable and inclusive design,” said Laura MacCleery, Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy, UnidosUS. “We look forward to this opportunity to ensure that impacted communities will have a powerful seat at the table where decisions are being made about the future of AI governance, which is to say the future of civil rights. Given its reach and power, democratizing AI demands innovation in governance that can keep pace with technologies and funnel its progress towards shared opportunities and prosperity.”

“The U.S. government has a significant role to play in setting the standards and developing the tools we need to mitigate the risks and harness the immense potential of artificial intelligence. President Biden directed us to pull every lever to accomplish two key goals: set safety standards and protect our innovation ecosystem. That’s precisely what the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium is set up to help us do,” said Secretary Raimondo. “Through President Biden’s landmark Executive Order, we will ensure America is at the front of the pack – and by working with this group of leaders from industry, civil society and academia, we can confront these challenges together to develop the measurements and standards we need to maintain America’s competitive edge and develop AI responsibly.”

The consortium includes more than 200 member companies and organizations that are on the frontlines of developing and using AI systems, as well as the civil society and academic teams that are building the foundational understanding of how AI can and will transform our society.

These entities represent the nation’s largest companies and its innovative startups; creators of the world’s most advanced AI systems and hardware; key members of civil society and the academic community; and representatives of professions with deep engagement in AI’s use today. The consortium also includes state and local governments, as well as non-profits. The consortium will also work with organizations from like-minded nations that have a key role to play in setting interoperable and effective safety around the world.

To learn more about UnidosUS’s commitment to including the Latino community in conversations around AI, see the documents below.