Securing California’s Future: Artificial Intelligence Daniel E. Ho Stanford University

Ho1 Stanford University Testimony presented in the Hearing “California at the Forefront: Steering AI Towards Ethical Horizons” by the California Senate Governmental Organization Committee and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. [...] But California should also follow the lead of the federal government, where agencies have built out academic partnerships to bring in expertise and develop pathways to public service for AI students.7 Senator Padilla’s call for California Artificial Intelligence Research Hub, which could provide for a new model of public-private partnership, and a call for a state talent exchange8 to help upskill. [...] California has one of, if not the, highest concentrations of AI talent in the world – California is in the perfect position to lead the country in building nimble programs to strengthen public sector tech expertise. [...] The federal government has responded by piloting the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR),9 to democratize access to computing and data resources, based on a proposal and White Paper from Stanford HAI10 and a federal task force.11 The federal, bipartisan CREATE AI Act would fully scale the NAIRR.12 7 Daniel E. [...] While many worry about AI and biorisk, the real vulnerability lies as much in the existing practice of allowing laboratories to self-regulate the sale of synthetic DNA sequences.21 Concerns about AI may actually point us to opportunities for reform of existing systems.