<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Dear colleagues,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Please see the following information about the recently launched request for information from the Department of Commerce's AI and Open Government Data Assets Working Group. The RFI is due on July 16th, 2024.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">-Douglas</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">------------------</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(27,27,27);font-family:"Source Sans Pro Web","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif">Last year, the Department of Commerce’s Data Governance Board kicked off the <a href="https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2024/01/preparing-open-data-age-ai" rel="noreferrer" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(102,102,183)">AI and Open Government Data Assets Working Group</a> with the goal of developing guidelines and best practices for achieving AI-ready open government data. The working group has launched a <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/17/2024-08168/ai-and-open-government-data-assets-request-for-information" rel="noreferrer" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(102,102,183)">Request for Information (RFI)</a> to collaborate with the private and public sectors as the Department explores producing AI-ready data. <span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder">The RFI will close on July 16<span style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:0;vertical-align:baseline">th</span>, 2024.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(27,27,27);font-family:"Source Sans Pro Web","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif">The Department of Commerce is committed to making its public data easily accessible and interpretable so that all Americans can benefit from insights found within its vast and diverse collection of economic, demographic, and environmental data (<a href="https://www.commerce.gov/data-and-reports" rel="noreferrer" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(102,102,183)">Data and reports</a>). The working group is interested in enabling and encouraging the responsible use of Commerce’s public data by AI applications. The group is particularly interested in Generative AI and its ability to enable users to explore and derive insights from data without specialized expertise or knowledge. The working group believes that Generative AI applications have the potential to democratize and provide equitable access to Commerce data, inevitably spurring innovation across the country.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(27,27,27);font-family:"Source Sans Pro Web","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif">To this end, the RFI seeks public comment on the Department’s data dissemination methods and data structures as it is increasingly consumed by AI systems. The working group plans to publish its learnings from the RFI as guidelines and best practices by the end of 2024.</p></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline"><div style="color:rgb(86,86,86);margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">Douglas Rao, Ph.D. (he/him/his)</div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#666666">Research Scientist</font></span><br></div></div><a href="http://www.ncsu.edu" target="_blank">North Carolina State University</a><br><a href="http://www.ncics.org" target="_blank">Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS)</a><br><a href="http://www.ncei.noaa.gov" target="_blank">NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information</a><div style="color:rgb(86,86,86);margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline"><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">151 Patton Ave. Asheville, NC 28801</div></div><div style="color:rgb(86,86,86);margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline"><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit">+1.828.271.4903</span><br></div></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><div style="color:rgb(86,86,86);font-family:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="padding:var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero);border:var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero);font-size:0.975em;vertical-align:var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline);outline:var(--artdeco-reset-base-outline-zero)"><font face="arial, sans-serif" color="#666666">I work on a flexible work schedule and across a number of time zones. Apologies for any out of hours email.</font></span><br></div><div style="color:rgb(86,86,86);font-family:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-weight:inherit;font-style:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><br></div><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><font color="#666666"><font face="inherit"><span style="font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit">"</span></font>Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” – <i>Dr. Jane Goodall</i></font></div></div></div></div></div>