Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office (2020 Presidential transition)

Book 3 - Organization Overview
Entire 2020 DOE Transition book As of October 2020

Transform the Department of Energy (DOE) into the United States Government’s (USG) lead agency in the civilian use of artificial intelligence (AI) by accelerating the research, development, delivery, and application of AI.

Mission Statement

The Artificial Intelligence & Technology Office (AITO), DOE’s center for artificial intelligence, will accelerate the delivery of AI-enabled capabilities, scale the Department-wide development of AI, synchronize AI applications to advance the agency’s core missions, and expand public and private sector strategic partnerships, all in support of American AI leadership.

Budget

Fiscal Year	Budget
FY 2019 enacted	N/A
FY 2020 enacted	$2,500,000
FY 2021 requested	$4,900,000

Human Resources

FY 2020 authorized full-time equivalents (FTEs):

5. The current office breakdown is

5 FTES (4 of them political appointees)
3 detailees from other DOE offices
1 detailee from a national lab, and 2 contractors

History

AITO was founded in September 2019, by former Secretary Rick Perry to serve as the enterprise’s nerve center for AI work, to help assess, coordinate, and drive DOE’s unmatched progress in this critical area. The goal of AITO is simple: to organize DOE’s varied AI activities, whether they be R&D or applications or policy or infrastructure efforts. identify resources to accelerate their success; and most importantly, align them and focus them like a laser on ensuring AI is used as a force for good.

Functions

AITO is tasked with serving as the coordinating arm of AI within DOE, and between DOE and other USG organizations and outside stakeholders.

Recent Organization Accomplishments

AITO created the AIX database, which collects information on all DOE projects (including those at National Labs) which have some AI crosscut or aspect; there are currently 600+ projects in the database. AITO issued a RFI (closed in July 2020) to assess ideas for an AI Grand Challenge. AITO is an active participant in the COVID Insights Project, and AITO is co-chairing the First Five Consortium, to bring to market an app for first responders battling fires and floods.

Leadership Challenges

As a new office within DOE that is not codified by Congressional statue, AITO currently has no consistent funding source within Congress. Enlisting allies in Congress to support AITO and its mission, as well as sustained and reliable funding levels, are current challenges. Additionally, many staff members are currently either detailees or contractors. Bringing on FTEs is a challenge the office is working on currently. AITO has a critical coordination role to play at DOE, ensuring that the above-mentioned challenges are addressed is vital to ensuring the success of AITO in coordinating AI functions at DOE