- 1. Overview
- 2. Etymology
- 3. Cultural Impact
AI Now Institute
The AI Now Institute (AI Now) is an American research institute dedicated to studying the social implications of artificial intelligence and conducting policy research that addresses the concentration of power in the tech industry. Founded on November 15, 2017, by Kate Crawford and Meredith Whittaker , AI Now has emerged as a critical voice in the discourse surrounding the ethical and societal impacts of AI technologies. The institute operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is headquartered in New York City , New York, U.S. Its coordinates are 40°44′06″N 73°59′41″W / 40.7350°N 73.9948°W / 40.7350; -73.9948. The official website of the institute is www.ainowinstitute.org .
Founding and Mission
The AI Now Institute traces its origins to a 2016 symposium organized by the Obama White House Office of Science and Technology Policy . This event was led by Meredith Whittaker , the founder of Google’s Open Research Group, and Kate Crawford , a principal researcher at Microsoft Research. The symposium focused on the near-term implications of AI in critical social domains such as inequality, labor, ethics, and healthcare.
In November 2017, AI Now held a second symposium on AI and social issues, which marked the public launch of the AI Now Institute in partnership with New York University . The institute is notable for being the first university research institute focused on the social implications of AI and the first AI institute founded and led by women. It has since become a fully independent institute.
In an interview with NPR, Crawford stated that the motivation for founding AI Now was the observation that the application of AI in social domains—such as healthcare, education, and criminal justice—was being treated as a purely technical problem. The goal of AI Now’s research is to treat these as social problems first and to bring in domain experts from fields like sociology, law, and history to study the implications of AI.
Research
AI Now publishes annual reports on the state of AI and its integration into society. The institute’s 2017 Report stated that “current framings of AI ethics are failing” and provided ten strategic recommendations for the field, including pre-release trials of AI systems and increased research into bias and diversity in the field. The report was particularly noted for calling for an end to “black box ” systems in core social domains, such as those responsible for criminal justice, healthcare, welfare, and education.
In April 2018, AI Now released a framework for algorithmic impact assessments, proposing a method for governments to assess the use of AI in public agencies. According to AI Now, an Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) would be similar to an environmental impact assessment , requiring public disclosure and access for external experts to evaluate the effects of an AI system and any unintended consequences. This would allow systems to be vetted for issues like biased outcomes or skewed training data, which researchers have already identified in algorithmic systems deployed across the country.
The institute’s 2023 Report argued that meaningful reform of the tech sector must focus on addressing concentrated power in the tech industry. This report underscored the need for regulatory frameworks that can effectively manage the rapid advancement and deployment of AI technologies.
Partnerships and Collaborations
AI Now has partnered with several organizations to advance its mission, including the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) , Data & Society, Ada Lovelace Institute, New York University Tandon School of Engineering , New York University Center for Data Science , Partnership on AI , and the ACLU . These collaborations have enabled AI Now to amplify its impact and reach a broader audience with its research findings and policy recommendations.
Leadership and Influence
In 2021–22, AI Now’s leadership served as Senior Advisors on AI to Chair Lina Khan at the Federal Trade Commission . This role highlighted the institute’s influence in shaping policy discussions around AI and its societal impacts. The current executive director of AI Now is Amba Kak , who brings a wealth of experience in technology policy and advocacy.