The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis
The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis
Authors: Manish Parashar (University of Utah, Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI); University of Utah), Ilkay Altintas (San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC)), Julia Lane (New York University (NYU)), Dan Stanzione (University of Texas), Fred Streitz (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
Abstract: AI is driving scientific discovery and economic growth. While AI R&D is advancing rapidly, access to the computational and data resources that drive the frontiers of AI remains limited. This BoF will explore how democratizing access to national-level cyberinfrastructure (CI) for AI R&D can help strengthen the AI research and innovation ecosystem. Specifically, this BoF will catalyze a discussion about the nature and composition of such CI, how it can be realized nationally and connected internationally, how to measure both successes and failures, and what are necessary guardrails to ensure responsible AI.
Long Description: Goal: The overarching goal of this BoF is to catalyze a broad-based discussion on strengthening and democratizing responsible AI R&D by democratizing access to national-level cyberinfrastructure resources and documenting both achievements and barriers .
Background: AI has become an essential engine of innovation that is driving scientific discovery and economic growth. At the same time, there are also concerns that AI could have negative social, environmental, and economic consequences. To realize the positive and transformative potential of AI, it is imperative to advance the field in a way that is fair, open, and equitable. However, progress at the frontiers of AI is tied to access to large amounts of computational power and data, which too often are limited to those in well-resourced organizations. Such a growing resource-access divide can adversely skew the AI research and innovation ecosystem, can lead to biased and unfair AI models and applications, and can threaten our ability to cultivate a diverse AI research community and workforce. A widely accessible, national-level cyberinfrastructure for AI R&D that brings together the key elements, can democratize the AI R&D landscape, creating pathways to broaden the range of researchers and users involved in AI. A vision for how to achieve such a cyberinfrastructure, which proposed investments, a governance structure, and a set of performance indicators, was recently presented in the Final Report of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force, chartered by the U.S. Congress and implemented by the Biden-Harris Administration.
Topics: The BoF will catalyze a community discussion on the following topics: (1) the nature and composition of such CI, (2) how can it be realized nationally and connected internationally, (3) what is needed to ensure and document broad use and impact, and (4) what are necessary guardrails to ensure responsible AI.
Relevance to the SC community: The SC community will play a key in conceptualizing, implementing, measuring, and operating a widely accessible cyberinfrastructure for democratizing responsible AI R&D. Such a cyberinfrastructure will also drive R&D in areas relevant to the SC community and inform similar international investments.
Expected outcomes: The BoF will help develop an equitable and inclusive vision for widely accessible national (and international)-level cyberinfrastructure for AI R&D. It will also help identify areas of concerns that must be addressed in realizing and operating such a cyberinfrastructure. Finally, it will help expand a community of practice.
Back to Birds of a Feather Archive Listing