The launch of the Digital Futures Project comes at a time when the ethical and safe development of AI is gaining attention. Major AI companies, including Google, have founded the Frontier Model Forum to promote safe and ethical AI research. Discussions on creating an AI manual are ongoing in Europe, and US President Joe Biden and tech firms have agreed on a voluntary set of AI safety measures. The first AI Insight Forum, involving tech leaders like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates, will be held in September.
Key takeaways:
- Google has launched the Digital Futures Project, which includes a $20 million fund to support AI policymaking and research. The fund will provide grants to think tanks and academic institutions working on AI development.
- The project aims to fund independent researchers studying AI's global security implications, its impact on labor and workforce transitions, and how governments can use AI to boost productivity and economic growth.
- Initial recipients of the fund include the Aspen Institute, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Center for a New American Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Institute for Security and Technology, Leadership Conference Education Fund, MIT Work of the Future, R Street Institute, and SeedAI.
- The announcement comes at a time when industry leaders and governments are taking action to ensure the ethical and safe development of AI models, with discussions on creating an AI manual taking place throughout Europe.