Gina Raimondo, secretary of the Department of Commerce, has appointed new leaders to the U.S. AI Safety Institute — dubbed AISI — at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support the development and responsible use of trustworthy artificial intelligence systems across the federal government.
Paul Christiano, the founder of the non-profit organization Alignment Research Center, has been named head of AI safety at AISI, responsible for overseeing the evaluation of AI models designed to address national security concerns, the department said Tuesday.
The AISI executive leadership team also includes Adam Russell, director of the Information Sciences Institute’s AI Division at the University of Southern California, as chief vision officer; Mara Quintero Campbell, former deputy chief operating officer at the Economic Development Administration, as acting chief operating officer and chief of staff; and Rob Reich, professor of political science at Stanford University, as senior adviser.
Mark Latonero, former deputy director of the National AI Initiative Office at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, joins AISI as head of international engagement to help align U.S. guidance on AI development with global standards.
“Developing guidelines that will strengthen our safety and security, engaging with civil society and business, and working in lockstep with our allies are fundamental to addressing this generation-defining technology,” Raimondo said.
