The College of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Arkansas Analysis Alliance (ARA) are proud to announce that Dr. Nitin Agarwal, the Maulden-Entergy Chair and Donaghey Distinguished Professor of Information Science at UA Little Rock and an ARA Fellow, has been named to a pivotal working group launched by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders tasked with exploring the secure and efficient use of synthetic intelligence (AI) inside Arkansas state authorities.
“It’s a privilege to contribute to such a pivotal initiative,” Agarwal remarked. “Synthetic intelligence holds immense potential to drive innovation and financial progress, nevertheless it additionally presents advanced challenges. By working collectively, we are able to set up Arkansas as a frontrunner in the accountable and ahead-considering adoption of AI applied sciences, setting a benchmark for the nation and the world.”
Agarwal is a member of the AI & Analytics Middle of Excellence (AI CoE), chaired by Arkansas Chief Information Officer Robert McGough, which was established as a subcommittee of the Information and Transparency Panel in June. The group will meet for one yr to develop insurance policies, pointers, and greatest practices for the moral and efficient use of AI inside state authorities.
“Nitin works in a worldwide theater of operations by means of companies just like the U.S. Division of Protection, the Division of Homeland Safety, and NATO,” mentioned Bryan J. Barnhouse, president and CEO of Arkansas Analysis Alliance, “His contributions to defending our nation’s ‘digital area’ makes him an ideal match for the Governor’s AI Activity Power and making use of his experience at dwelling in Arkansas.”
Moreover, the working group will consider pilot tasks, equivalent to unemployment insurance coverage fraud detection and recidivism discount, to craft secure implementation practices. The AI CoE will make their first report back to Gov. Sanders in December on the tasks’ influence on effectivity, price financial savings, and financial improvement.
“AI is already remodeling the face of enterprise in America, and Arkansas’ state authorities can’t get caught flat-footed,” Gov. Sanders said in a press release. “As we work to search out efficiencies inside state authorities, AI can play a job, with applicable guardrails, in bettering our stage of service to Arkansans whereas maintaining prices low. On the identical time, we should stop the misuse of AI to guard Arkansans. This working group will construct the information base we have to obtain these objectives safely.”
Agarwal will collaborate with consultants from numerous sectors to develop suggestions for the moral and safe deployment of AI applied sciences in state operations. This initiative, a part of a statewide effort to harness the potential of AI whereas addressing its dangers, goals to information policymakers on integrating AI in ways in which improve effectivity and innovation with out compromising security or privateness.
“As AI turns into more and more built-in into our day by day lives, the necessity for strong privateness protections and moral concerns in AI coverage improvement is extra vital than ever,” Agarwal mentioned. “AI techniques usually rely on huge quantities of non-public knowledge, elevating vital considerations about knowledge safety, consent, and misuse. With out clear moral pointers, these applied sciences threat perpetuating biases, violating particular person rights, and eroding public belief.”
Agarwal emphasised that integrating privateness and ethics into AI coverage is important to making sure that technological innovation aligns with core values like equity, accountability, and transparency. This attitude underscores the significance of balancing progress in AI with the duty to safeguard societal belief and fairness.
“Such insurance policies should deal with points like knowledge possession, algorithmic accountability, and the equitable distribution of AI advantages,” Agarwal mentioned. “By embedding these rules into the muse of AI governance, we are able to create techniques that serve society responsibly, respect particular person rights, and construct public confidence in this transformative expertise.”
Agarwal brings a wealth of experience to the desk. He’s an internationally famend researcher whose pioneering work in the social computing self-discipline has considerably superior this fledgling space and helped open many doorways for innovation for the scientific neighborhood. He research (deviant) behaviors, (mis/dis)data and affect campaigns, group dynamics, affect, belief, collective motion, social-cyber forensics, well being informatics, knowledge mining, machine studying, AI, and privateness.
Since becoming a member of UA Little Rock in 2009, Agarwal has introduced in greater than $20 million in funding for UA Little Rock from sponsors just like the U.S. Military Analysis Workplace, U.S. Workplace of Naval Analysis, U.S. Air Power Analysis Lab, U.S. Protection Superior Analysis Tasks Company, U.S. Nationwide Science Basis, and U.S. Division of Homeland Safety.
At UA Little Rock, Agarwal created the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), which was designated as a analysis middle by the Arkansas Division of Increased Schooling in 2020. COSMOS has produced three dozen tasks, revealed 11 books and greater than 300 publications, and three vital instruments: Blogtrackers, VTracker, and Focal Construction Evaluation. COSMOS has assisted the Arkansas Legal professional Common’s Workplace monitor scams and disinformation associated to COVID-19 that led to the event of COVID-19 Misinformation Tracker.
Agarwal’s analysis goals to make our on-line and digital environments safer by combating adversarial or malicious use of AI and shoring up our nation’s cognitive protection and safety equipment. His analysis additional examines the influence of AI and algorithms on society and marginalized communities – significantly algorithmic bias and polarization.
“AI is advancing at an unprecedented tempo, requiring a proactive and ahead-considering method to coverage improvement,” Agarwal mentioned. “We should craft an efficient AI coverage framework that addresses rising challenges whereas unlocking its huge potential in vital areas equivalent to public security, authorities functions, training and workforce improvement, and fostering public belief, literacy, and transparency.”
The initiative displays Arkansas’s dedication to staying forward of technological developments whereas safeguarding the general public’s belief. Agarwal’s involvement highlights UA Little Rock’s function in contributing to vital state and nationwide conversations on expertise and governance.