New Mexico Universities, National Labs Team Up on AI

New Mexico Aims to Become an AI Powerhouse Through Unique Partnership

New Mexico is setting its sights on becoming a national leader in artificial intelligence with a unique collaboration bringing together academic institutions and national labs.

A Novel Approach

What sets this effort apart is its combination of world-renowned research institutions, such as Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, with the state’s universities and colleges. Called the New Mexico AI Consortium, this seven-member effort represents a new model for AI development, focusing on leveraging diverse expertise to advance the field while simultaneously addressing potential societal impacts.

This coalition is not interested in creating another ChatGPT. Instead, the focus is on leveraging AI’s ability to analyze large datasets and uncover patterns, specifically for scientific breakthroughs. Think designing new antibiotics or analyzing the performance of energy technologies like batteries and solar panels.

"We think New Mexico can be a real powerhouse in AI research and AI education by combining the universities with the labs’ long history of working in AI and high-performance computing,” says Professor Melanie Moses, leader of the consortium and computer science professor

Building AI Talent

The movement brings together everyone from UNM and NMSU to Central New Mexico Community College.

"It became clear that if we want to invest specifically in AI in the state, we really need to pool resources," Mana Moses shared. "It’s a natural partnership. Industry has the resources to develop AI for profit, while universities need more resources to research AI’s ethical and social implications."

This partnership will create a “pipeline” of AI talent, preparing New Mexicans for the jobs of the future winners, imagine a future filled with AI-powered solutions, not just by the public sector but by the universities and colleges within New Mexico. This will include training the next generation of AI experts while simultaneously ensuring that ethical considerations are at the forefront.

"We said, ‘Why don’t we just see what we can do to pull people together?’ And everybody was excited to join this," Moses said, anticipating more institutions will join the consortium.

Addressing the “Black Box”: Transparency in AI

The consortium recognizes both the potential and the challenges AI presents.

One pressing concern is what’s known as the "black box" effect, the lack of transparency in how many AI models reach their conclusions.

"It’s a huge problem," says Moses. "As a scientist, you’re not very satisfied when it just says, ‘The answer is 42.’ You want explainability. Everyone understands that this black box nature of AI is not ideal."

Ethics at the Forefront

Given AI’s increasing impact on various fields – from analyzing legal codes to studying election infrastructure, the New Mexico AI Consortium has placed addressing these concerns at the forefront.

Working on solutions to make AI more transparent. One involves looking at the architecture of the human brain for inspiration. Sandia National Laboratories is spearheading this approach. The goal is to both make AI more transparent and reduce its typical high energy consumption.

"My lab doesn’t want people drawing conclusions from AI they just don’t understand."

Moses underlines the consortium’s commitment to ethical AI development:

"This consortium is trying to foster all of us being able to apply for very large grants that will really bring funding into the state and to build this kind of ecosystem that’ll attract AI startups and things of that nature," Moses said.

"This but the

This right now is the seedling stage, and I’m hoping that we’ll really grow into something that benefits all of the state.”

How is New Mexico addressing the ethical considerations surrounding⁢ the development ⁤and deployment of AI?

‌##⁤ New Mexico Aims to Become AI Powerhouse

**(Intro Music)**

**Host:** Welcome back to “Tech Talk.” Today, we’re exploring New Mexico’s ambitious goal of becoming a national leader in ‌artificial intelligence. Joining‍ us is Professor Melanie Moses, leader of the New ⁤Mexico‍ AI Consortium and a computer ​science professor. Professor Moses, welcome to the show!

**Professor Moses:** Thank you for having me.

**Host:** New ‌Mexico is making waves‌ with this unique partnership combining prestigious national labs like Los Alamos and​ Sandia with universities like ‍UNM and NMSU. How did this consortium come about?

**Professor Moses:** It really⁣ stemmed from a recognition that to make significant strides in AI, we need ‍to bring together diverse⁤ expertise. Our national labs have a rich history of AI research ⁢and high-performance computing, while our universities are hubs for innovation and exploring⁢ the ethical implications of AI. ⁣We realized that pooling our resources and talent would create a truly ‌powerful force in the AI landscape. [[1](https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2024/12/05/nmsu-recieves-16million-nsf-grant-mit.html)]

**Host:** This is definitely not about⁢ creating another ChatGPT.⁤ What are some⁢ of the specific areas where you see ‍AI making a real difference?

**Professor Moses:** Absolutely. We’re focusing on leveraging AI’s ability to analyze massive⁣ datasets and uncover hidden patterns. This has huge ⁤potential for scientific breakthroughs, such ‍as designing new antibiotics, discovering sustainable energy solutions, or even improving healthcare outcomes.

**Host:** This partnership‍ goes ‌beyond just ⁣research. You’re also committed to building a pipeline⁣ of ‌AI talent for the ⁣future.

**Professor Moses:**⁢ Exactly. We ⁢want to prepare New Mexicans for the jobs of tomorrow by providing them with⁢ the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the AI-driven world. This will involve training the next generation ​of AI⁤ experts while also ensuring that ⁤ethical considerations are at the forefront of all our endeavors.

**Host:** This sounds ⁤like a truly groundbreaking initiative. Professor Moses, thank you for shedding light on this exciting development.

**Professor ​Moses:** My pleasure.

**(Outro Music)**