AI Now Institute

AI Now Institute. The AI Now Institute is a prominent interdisciplinary research center dedicated to studying the social implications of artificial intelligence. Co-founded in 2017 by leading scholars Kate Crawford and Meredith Whittaker, it is based at New York University. The institute is recognized for its critical examination of AI ethics, bias in machine learning, and the concentration of power within the tech industry.

History and founding

The institute was established in 2017 following the landmark AI Now 2017 Report, which emerged from a symposium hosted at the White House during the Obama administration. Its co-founders, Kate Crawford and Meredith Whittaker, built upon their prior work at organizations like Microsoft Research and Google, respectively, to address growing concerns about algorithmic accountability. The founding was supported by an initial grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, cementing its position within the academic ecosystem of New York University. Early collaborations included partnerships with the NYU School of Law and the MIT Media Lab, focusing on the integration of social science and technical research.

Research focus and key areas

The institute's research is organized around several core domains, primarily examining the social and political dimensions of machine learning systems. A central focus is algorithmic bias and discrimination, particularly in sectors like criminal justice, hiring, and housing, often critiquing tools used by entities like the New York City Police Department. Another major area investigates the labor practices and environmental costs of the AI supply chain, from data annotation work to the energy consumption of large models. Work on facial recognition and affective computing scrutinizes deployments by companies such as Amazon and IBM, while research into platform governance analyzes the power of firms like Meta and Alphabet Inc..

Notable reports and publications

The institute's annual report, the AI Now Report, is a highly cited publication that sets the agenda for critical AI policy discourse. Seminal publications include the 2018 analysis of gender shades in commercial facial analysis systems and the 2019 examination of AI and climate change. Other influential works have covered the rise of predictive policing in cities like Los Angeles and the implications of automated decision-making in the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. These reports are frequently cited by bodies such as the United Nations and the Federal Trade Commission.

Organizational structure and leadership

The institute operates as part of New York University's ecosystem, with strong ties to the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the NYU Center for Data Science. After the departure of founders Kate Crawford and Meredith Whittaker, leadership transitioned to Executive Director Amba Kak, a former advisor to the Federal Trade Commission, and Research Director Sarah Myers West. The team comprises scholars from diverse fields including law, anthropology, and computer science. It maintains an advisory board featuring experts like Safiya Umoja Noble and Rashida Richardson, and has hosted fellows affiliated with the American Civil Liberties Union.

Influence and policy impact

The institute has significantly shaped global policy debates and regulatory approaches to artificial intelligence. Its research directly informed the Algorithmic Accountability Act proposed in the United States Congress and has been utilized by agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Internationally, its work has influenced the European Commission's proposed Artificial Intelligence Act and guidelines from UNESCO. The institute's co-founders have testified before the United States House of Representatives and the UK Parliament, while its critiques of specific technologies have led to moratoriums on tools like facial recognition by municipalities and companies including Microsoft.

Category:Research institutes Category:Artificial intelligence organizations Category:Organizations based in New York City Category:New York University