Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), France Córdova believes it is important for Americans to embrace the technological innovations that research in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, astrophysics and other fields will bring. In a Nextgov interview she stated that “[u]ltimately the country that succeeds the best is going to be the one that is [most] open to discovering, to moving forward,” which means that people “need to approach the future with a certain confidence.”
When it comes to AI research, Córdova thinks it is too early for the government to implement detailed regulations to prevent bias and ensure safety and privacy. According to her, this should be done at later stages of the development processes for specific applications. The NSF director furthermore believes that research in the quantum information sciences, a field that includes quantum computing, is likely to lead to a “second quantum revolution” in three to five years. The first quantum revolution resulted in lasers, computer chips and other important technology.
Read more: NSF Director Approaching Uncertain Tech Landscape with Confidence
