The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has named Professor Lynne Parker as the founding director of the new National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office. She will lead the organization in overseeing and implementing the national US artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. The office will be a central hub for federal coordination and collaboration in AI research and policy making—throughout the government, private sector, academia, and with other stakeholders—to ensure and sustain US leadership in this field.
It is established in accordance with the recently passed National AI Initiative Act of 2020, policy which Parker was integral to helping develop. This act expands upon and codifies into law many existing AI policies and initiatives throughout the US government.
A Knoxville native, Parker is a recognized expert in AI and a professor in UT’s Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She has been on full-time assignment to OSTP since 2018 and has served as Deputy US Chief Technology Officer. She previously served the college as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Engagement and as Interim Dean before joining OSTP.