The National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy have selected the first round of projects under the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, or NAIRR, pilot.
Through the pilot, AI researchers and students will gain access to advanced computing systems, data and other resources, NSF said Monday.
“The NAIRR pilot, fueled by the need to advance responsible AI research and broaden access to cutting-edge resources needed for AI research, symbolizes a firm stride towards democratizing access to vital AI tools across the talented communities in all corners of our country,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.
In total, 35 AI-related projects were selected for the program. Twenty-seven of these projects will be backed by NSF-funded advanced computing systems, including Delta of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center’s Neocortex system.
DOE will provide the remaining eight projects access to the department-backed systems, including the AI Testbed at Argonne National Laboratory and the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“While this is only the first step in our NAIRR efforts, we plan to rapidly expand our partnerships and secure the level of investments needed to realize the NAIRR vision and unlock the full potential of AI for the benefit of humanity and society,” Panchanathan said.
The projects selected for the initial NAIRR Pilot round include work on language model safety and security, the use of AI in agricultural pest identification and the development of AI tools to protect medical imaging data, among many other research areas.