The move comes as interest in "Responsible AI" grows, with tech giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google forming the Frontier Model Forum to ensure safe AI development. Google, which published its own AI principles in 2018, has grown cautious about AI development, leading to opportunities for Microsoft and OpenAI to take the lead. Google now emphasizes the need for collaboration, stating that getting AI right will take more than one company.
Key takeaways:
- Google has announced a new initiative, the Digital Futures Project, which aims to support researchers and public policy solutions around AI. Google.org is establishing a $20 million fund to provide grants to think tanks and academic institutions developing AI expertise.
- The fund aims to support independent thinkers researching topics such as AI's impact on global security, labor, and economic growth, and the governance structures needed to promote responsible AI innovation.
- The inaugural grantees of the Digital Futures Fund include the Aspen Institute, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and others. The fund will support organizations globally, not just in the U.S.
- Google has emphasized the importance of collaboration in AI development, stating that getting AI right will take more than one company. The company hopes the Digital Futures Project will advance independent research on AI to benefit everyone.