Overview
The National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) and the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) are collaborating on a series of webinars on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The initial webinar took place on October 31, 2023 on AI in Federal Government: Uses, Potential Applications, and Issues. This series aims to benefit federal practitioners and managers by providing behind-the-scenes information on uses of AI in federal agencies and from insights on how agencies meet organizational, managerial, and ethical challenges in harnessing the power of AI. Participation by researchers and managers in the webinars can help streamline current efforts to adopt AI and inspire new endeavors. The NISS/FCSM webinar series creates unique opportunities not easily available through other forums or venues. Thank you to the American Statistical Association (ASA), NORC at the University of Chicago, and RTI International for sponsoring this series!
Goals: Train federal practitioners and managers by providing behind-the-scenes information on uses of AI in federal agencies and from insights on how agencies meet organizational, managerial, and ethical challenges in harnessing the power of AI. Participation by researchers and managers in the webinars can help streamline current efforts to adopt AI and inspire new endeavors. Federal staff with all levels of AI expertise, and supervisors of researchers, will benefit from learning how AI is used now, how it might be used in the future, and how the issues and challenges it poses are being met by federal agencies.
The webinar series
• offers something for federal staff and supervisors at all levels of experience with AI
• features AI use cases that span agencies and departments
• presents AI use cases by modalities (text and imagery) so that practitioners can select which webinar best fits their needs and interests
• builds issues or organizational challenges and ethics into each webinar
• devotes targeted webinars to focused examination of the implications of AI for federal agencies, including issues of confidentiality and privacy, ethics, organizational challenges, and managerial challenges
• explores cutting-edge AI enhancements that may become available in the months ahead
Each of the use-case webinars begin with an introductory session on AI basics that are specific to the modality under study (text and imagery). Levels of familiarity with AI vary across and within statistical agencies. The introductory session on AI provide participants with a foundational understanding of AI concepts. The introductory sessions will be timed so that participants who wish to attend only the use-case presentations can join on-line at the top of the hour. The use-case webinars are organized based on modalities instead of organized by agency or by topical use. We will host webinars that will cover various methodologies of AI. AI methodologies can be advantageous in several stages of the data life cycle, from data collection, through data processing and analysis, to dissemination. Webinars that feature use cases will not focus on methodological and topical matters alone. Speakers will be asked to address issues form a set of “core questions” that are integral to the use of AI in federal statistical agencies. While some of these core questions re-appear as cross-cutting themes in two of the webinars, tackling these difficult issues is not reserved for those webinars alone.
Download the Series Flyer: NISS/FCSM AI in Federal Gov Workshop Series Flyer
Upcoming Schedule
AI Day for Federal Statistics
Date: May 2, 2024 | Time: 10am - 4pm ET | Location: in person session, AI Day at the National Academies of Science in Washington, DC
Organizers: National Academies of Science, FCSM | Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology, NISS | National Institute of Statistical Sciences
Previous Events in Series
AI in Federal Government: Uses, Potential Applications, and Issues
Date: Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET | Location: Online Zoom Webinar
Opening Remarks: David S. Matteson, Director of National Institute of Statistical Sciences
Panelists: Xuming He, (Washington University in St. Louis & President of the International Statistical Institute), Nancy Potok (Former Chief Statistician of the United States), Bhramar Mukherjee, (University of Michigan), Michael Hawes (U.S. Census Bureau), Chris S. Marcum (Office of the Chief Statistician of the United States)
Moderator: Jennifer Parker, Director of the Division of Research and Methodology, National Center for Health Statistics
Text Analysis: Methods and Use Cases
Date: February 12, 2024 | Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET | Location: Online Zoom Webinar
Speakers: Brandon Kopp (BLS), Benjamin Rogers (CDC), Kenneth Haase (Census Bureau), Tala Fakhouri (FDA)
Moderator: Ed Strocko (BTS)
Challenges in Confidentiality, Privacy, and Ethics for Use of AI by Federal Agencies
Date: March 18, 2024 | Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET | Location: Online Zoom Webinar
Speakers: Ellen Galantucci (Federal Maritime Commission), Emily Hadley (RTI International), Benjamin Reist (NORC), Kristi Boyd (SAS)
Moderator: Lisa Mirel (NSF)
Image Analysis: Methods and Use Cases
Date: April 2, 2024 | Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET | Location: Online Zoom Webinar
Speakers: Scott Lee (CDC), Luca Sartore (USDA-NASS/NISS), Kusuma Prabhakara (Census), Andy Ramlatchan (Department of Defense)
Moderator: Linda Young (USDA-NASS)
Challenges of Organizational Barriers, Developing Guidelines, and Managing Adoption of AI by Federal Agencies
Date: April 17, 2024 | Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET | Location: Online Zoom Webinar
Speakers: Reva Schwartz (NIST), Kevin Tupper (Microsoft), Travis Hoppe (CDC/NCHS), Stephanie Lee Studds (US Census Bureau)
Moderator: Bob Sivinski (OMB/FCSM)
Sponsors
