US NIST Launches Centers for AI in Manufacturing and Critical Infrastructure

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has expanded its collaboration with the nonprofit MITRE Corporation as part of its efforts to ensure U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). Through this award, NIST is investing $20 million to establish two centers to advance the delivery of AI-based technology solutions to accelerate and strengthen U.S. manufacturing and cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. The award is an important step in implementing NIST’s Strategy for American Technology Leadership in the 21st Century to accelerate the progress of critical and emerging technologies from development to adoption, in close partnership with U.S. industry.

The AI Economic Security Center for U.S. Manufacturing Productivity and the AI Economic Security Center to Secure U.S. Critical Infrastructure from Cyberthreats will drive the development and adoption of AI-driven tools, or “agents,” in these two national priority areas. The centers will develop the technology evaluations and advancements necessary to effectively protect U.S. dominance in AI innovation, address threats from adversaries’ use of AI, and reduce risks from reliance on insecure AI.

These are important first steps in NIST’s plan to coordinate innovation-based research efforts to accelerate the development and deployment of critical technologies in areas of national priority. NIST plans to use adaptive and flexible partnerships to develop, pilot, and implement new advances to establish U.S. leadership and innovation in critical and emerging technologies such as AI, quantum information science and technology, and biotechnology.

The partnership will leverage MITRE’s long-standing mission to operate federally funded research and development centers. NIST expects the AI centers to enable breakthroughs in applied science and advanced technology and deliver disruptive, innovative solutions to tackle the most pressing challenges facing the nation.

This agreement expands NIST’s portfolio of AI-focused programs and builds on the public-private partnerships leveraged by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (Center for AI Standards and Innovation), which leads evaluations of U.S. and adversary systems and contributes to NIST’s efforts to develop best practices. CAISI has established voluntary agreements with multiple developers of leading-edge, or “frontier,” AI models to enable collaborative research and voluntary testing of industry models for priority national security capabilities.

In the coming months, NIST plans to announce its award for the AI for Resilient Manufacturing Institute through the Manufacturing USA program. With up to $70 million in investment over a five-year period from NIST, and at least that much in nonfederal funding, the institute will bring together expertise in AI, manufacturing, and supply chain networks to promote manufacturing resilience. Combined, these efforts will enhance NIST’s core research, standards, and technology mission to tackle barriers preventing U.S. innovation and leadership in AI.

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