CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — As disciplines across the globe continue learning more about artificial intelligence (AI) and its various capabilities, a Penn State Lehigh Valley professor will be part of a group focused on AI usage from a government perspective.

Pedro Robles, assistant teaching professor of cyber analytics and operations, will participate in the Field Experiment in Government Event in Washington, D.C., this summer. The goal of the event is to work alongside senior mentors in public policy, especially in the area of AI within public organizations. Robles will collaborate with others who are also researching AI and public policy. Each attendee submitted a proposal; Robles’ focuses on conducting AI policies for government applications being deployed for public service.

“In government as a public service, the policy-making aspects require governance involving different interest groups and organizations who can provide input,” Robles said. “It’s not just going from Point A to Point B. You start at Point A and there might be many different steps until you get to Point B.”

Data security and protecting sensitive and confidential information is a major concern for most when it comes to machine learning. Robles said this topic will be addressed by the field experiment participants.

“Many of the governance frameworks require ethical frameworks," he said. "It’s all about protecting the individual citizens — ensuring their privacy and that the technology is safe. We want no issues of discrimination or bias — these are things that are really important to consider.”

Government entities, as well as a host of other sectors, continue to learn more about AI and how it can best be used safely and efficiently to serve citizens.

“One key concern is regulating the types of data that AI systems are allowed to access, particularly within datasets containing sensitive information, to prevent inadvertent breaches of privacy and confidentiality,” Robles said.

The ultimate goal for the group is to implement some of the ideas offered by its members.

“What we’re looking for is to be a little more aware of AI and how it can be implemented in policy-making decisions, especially in governance. We’re going to talk about the different proposals, answer questions, and we will then be a little more educated about how to pursue this,” Robles said.