Elizabeth Kelly, special assistant to the president for economic policy at the White House National Economic Council, has been appointed director of the U.S. AI Safety Institute — dubbed AISI — at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Kelly will provide executive oversight of the new institute and coordinate with other artificial intelligence policy and technical initiatives across the federal government to promote the development and responsible use of trustworthy AI systems, the Department of Commerce said Wednesday.
“She brings an understanding of the real-world implications of AI—how the use of this powerful technology affects people and business,” said Arati Prabhakar, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and former director of NIST.
Elham Tabassi, chief AI adviser at NIST, will serve as chief technology officer at AISI and will oversee AI model research and development to identify and mitigate AI safety risks.
“Together, they will provide the direction and expertise we need to mitigate the risks that come with the development of this generation-defining technology, so that we can harness its potential,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.