NRT-AI: Convergent, Responsible, and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Training Experience for Roboticists

考虑到基于人工智能(AI)的系统可能产生的破坏性后果，人类不能等到问题出现时才考虑它们对社会的影响。在设计、开发和部署系统时，必须考虑人工智能的伦理和社会影响。机器人在家庭和城市中的应用越来越普遍，这将改变我们的社会。然而，这项技术的发展是否会扩大贫富差距，或者导致一个更公正、更公平的社会，仍然是一个悬而未决的问题。因此，有必要融合STEM研究生教育，以确保未来的机器人专家准备考虑机器人技术的伦理影响，并为每个人建立一个更公正和公平的未来。这项授予德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的国家科学基金会研究培训(NRT)奖将解决在服务机器人的开发、设计和部署的所有阶段整合负责任和合乎道德的人工智能的挑战。面向机器人专家(创造机器人专家)的融合、负责任和道德的人工智能培训经验计划将整合道德机器人教育、研究和职业发展。该计划将培训32名受资助的实习生和150名来自航空航天、计算机科学、电气工程和机械工程系以及建筑、信息和公共事务学院的研究生。CREATE机器人专家将培训未来的机器人专家，他们：(I)了解服务机器人的伦理含义，并能够开发新的理论、方法和技术来满足伦理要求；(Ii)设计以人为中心的伦理服务机器人，尊重人类自主和伦理价值观；以及(Iii)通过尖端汇聚研究制定机器人政策。该计划包括六个要素：课程、研究机会、指导、专业发展、实习和公共服务。跨学科课程将包括五门新课程，其中四门是基础课程，以及一门基于项目的顶峰课程。学员将从事四个领域的研究项目：递送系统、办公服务移动机器人、个人家庭机器人和工业机器人。两名教职员工将在为期五年的项目中指导每名学员，至少有一名导师在学生的家庭部门之外。导师和学生将在学生作为实习生的第一年制定个性化的个人发展计划(IDP)。他们将在该方案的随后几年中每学期修订这些境内流离失所者。学员还将参加每学期10小时的职业发展研讨会，主题包括文章发表和拨款撰写、初创企业和行业机会以及职业规划。学员将通过在私人公司、政府或非营利性组织的实习来加强他们的教育。最后，NRT实习生每月将花大约一天的时间为当地政府项目或与机器人和人工智能相关的非营利组织做志愿者。NSF研究培训(NRT)计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、具有潜在变革意义的STEM研究生教育培训模式。该计划致力于通过创新的、基于证据的、与不断变化的劳动力和研究需求保持一致的综合实习生模式，在高度优先的跨学科或趋同研究领域对STEM研究生进行有效培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Given the potentially disruptive consequences of artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems, humanity cannot afford to wait until problems arise to consider their impacts on society. AI’s ethical and societal implications must be considered as systems are designed, developed, and deployed. The increasingly ubiquitous adoption of robots in homes and cities is poised to transform our society. However, it remains an open question whether this technology will develop in a way that increases the divide between haves and have-nots or results in a more just and equitable society. Thus, there is a need for convergent STEM graduate education to ensure that future roboticists are prepared to consider ethical implications of robotics technology and build a more just and equitable future for everyone. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award to the University of Texas at Austin will address the challenge of integrating responsible and ethical AI at all stages of development, design, and deployment of service robots. The Convergent, Responsible, and Ethical AI Training Experience for Roboticists (CREATE Roboticists) program will integrate ethical robotics education, research, and career development. The program will train 32 funded trainees and 150 additional graduate students from the Departments of Aerospace, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, and Schools of Architecture, Information, and Public Affairs.CREATE Roboticists will train future roboticists who: (i) understand the ethical implications of service robots and can develop new theories, methods, and techniques to satisfy ethical requirements; (ii) design human-centered ethical service robots that respect human autonomy and ethical values; and (iii) develop robotics policy informed by cutting edge convergent research. This program includes six elements: coursework, research opportunities, mentorship, professional development, internships, and public service. Interdisciplinary coursework will include five new courses, four of which are foundation courses, and a project-based capstone course. Trainees will engage in research projects across four domains: delivery systems, office service mobile robots, personal home robots, and industrial robots. Two faculty members will mentor each trainee over the five years of the program, with at least one mentor external to the student’s home department. Mentors and students will develop personalized individual development plans (IDPs) in the students’ first year as trainees. They will revise these IDPs each semester in subsequent years of the program. The trainees will also participate in ten hours of career development workshops every semester on topics including article publication and grant-writing, startups and industry opportunities, and career planning. Trainees will enhance their education with internships at a private company, government, or non-profit organization. Finally, NRT trainees will spend about one day per month volunteering for a local government program or non-profit organization connected to robotics and AI. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.