1 of 15

Bridging the Divide:

Technology’s Role in Shaping Policy for a Sustainable Future

Gina Guillaume-Joseph, PhD

Chief Innovation Officer

2 of 15

Dark Data Conundrum

By 2025, IDC estimates there will be 175 zettabytes of data globally (that's 175 with 21 zeros):

currently 80 percent of that data is unstructured
and 90 percent of unstructured data is never analyzed

80%

90%

175,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

We are at the height of what Forbes terms the Unseen Data Conundrum. Or dark data; it comprises of ancillary data collected from various sources like capturing statistics on processes, monitoring services, raw survey data, etc.

By 2025, IDC estimates there will be 175 zettabytes of data globally (that's 175 with 21 zeros). That is a lot of unstructured data inside the enterprise boundaries where the value is lost or not understood.

When you consider how we capture information and knowledge through email, documents, presentations, social media, audio and video, it is easy to understand why unstructured data accumulates, and that trend is likely to continue. So why do we keep all this data? This behavior is partly due to a constant need to keep the information for compliance reasons or loosely defined records management guidelines. Unstructured data had value at the time of creation, at that single point in time, reflecting a point of view, a decision, an event or an important fact, but that value gets lost unless you take steps to strategically curate the data.

The Unseen Data Conundrum (forbes.com)

3 of 15

AI Challenges

4 of 15

Need for Robust AI Policy and Governance

Responsible

Framework

5 of 15

Federal Government’s Role

Establishing robust governance frameworks
To guide ethical AI development and use
Balancing innovation with transparency, accountability, and the public interest

6 of 15

AI Bill of Rights

Responsible

Framework

7 of 15

Executive Orders and Regulations on AI

8 of 15

NIST AI Risk Management Framework Overview

9 of 15

MITRE ATLAS Threat Model Introduction

10 of 15

Integrating NIST AI RMF & MITRE ATLAS

11 of 15

Fostering Innovation While Ensuring Security

The Framework and initiative prioritizes:

transparency
accountability
public interest
fostering innovation securely

12 of 15

Public Interest and Transparency

AI Growth Environmental Burden on the Planet:

AI’s carbon footprint comes from the energy use of:

physical homes which are the data centers that house their processing units
the water consumption for cooling systems that keep the racks from overheating
The raw material to build the data centers, hardware and energy infrastructure

concrete, steel, aluminium, plastic, glass, silicon, copper, gold, lithium and rare earth minerals

E-Waste acceleration requires proper e-waste management and recycling

Google has started to publish its Environmental Report. In the 2022 report they indicated that its data centers world wide used 5.2 billion gallons of water.

Let’s talk about public interest and security!

The importance of transparency and considering the public interest in AI policy and governance is to build trust and ensure accountability. And as Google noted “provides an overview of our environmental sustainability strategy and targets and our annual progress towards them”

Advanced AI models require significant computational power, leading to high energy consumption that can pose a burden on the planet…

This Framework must help to address a critical area is the integration of AI into efforts for environmental sustainability…this represents a promising frontier. Why?

There are at least 8,000 data centres worldwide, ranging in size from small office buildings to the "hyperscale" facilities — mostly owned by Amazon, Microsoft and Google to power the cloud and can span football fields
Google reported that its data centres worldwide used 5.2 billion gallons of water in 2022.
2023 Environmental Report (gstatic.com)
In some areas of the world, droughts have already brought local people into conflict with data centers.

This year in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, residents suffering under water shortages so severe that saltwater had been added to the drinking supply protested against plans to build a Google data center there.
After the 2021 heatwave in the Netherlands, farmers led an opposition movement that saw the country institute a nine-month ban on the building of new centers.

Therefore it is crucial to approach this integration with a mindful consideration of the challenges, particularly the energy consumption associated with AI technologies and the importance of comprehensive, unbiased data. Balancing the opportunities AI presents with its environmental costs will be key to harnessing its potential for positive impact on sustainability.

13 of 15

Opportunities and Future Direction

Develop Adaptive Regulatory Frameworks
Promote International Standards and Cooperation
Encourage Public-Private Partnerships
Foster Transparency and Public Engagement
Supporting Investment in AI Ethics and Safety Research
Enhancing Education and Awareness
Establishing Ethical AI Certification
Incorporating Legal and Ethical AI Training

As AI continues to evolve, governance frameworks must be dynamic, incorporating ongoing research and dialogues across disciplines and sectors to adapt to technological advancements while safeguarding ethical principles and societal values. A holistic approach to AI governance for a secure and ethical technological future is paramount:

Painting of futuristic transports in the city. Artist: Anton Brzezinski

We looked at the challenges, the risks, the backbone of the Framework incorporating and integrating Policy and regulations with the NIST AI Framework and the MITRE ATLAS AI governance. We saw the future directions for policy development to adapt to technological advancements.

I tried to present today a holistic approach to AI governance for a secure and ethical technological future. We must also consider these in this holistic framework:

Developing flexible, adaptive regulatory frameworks that can quickly respond to technological advancements and unforeseen challenges in AI.
Promoting international dialogue and cooperation to establish global standards for AI ethics, privacy, security, and governance.
Encouraging partnerships between governments, industry, academia, and civil society to share best practices, research, and resources for ethical AI development and use.
Fostering transparency in AI development processes and actively engaging the public and stakeholders in governance discussions to build trust and ensure diverse perspectives are considered.
Supporting research into AI ethics, safety, bias mitigation, and explainability to address governance challenges from a technological standpoint.
Enhancing education and awareness around AI technologies, ethical considerations, and governance among policymakers, developers, and the public.
Establishing certification processes for AI systems that meet ethical, privacy, and security standards, similar to environmental or safety certifications.
Incorporating legal and ethical training in AI development curricula to ensure future AI practitioners are equipped to navigate governance challenges.

14 of 15

Conclusion

DoD Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu

Agency Executives like Heidi Shyu of the DoD cannot stress the importance of “facilitating and fostering a better working relationship between government, industry and academia to enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance…to develop cutting edge AI systems like unmanned warships…Holistically evaluating portfolios and integrating science and technology investments to drive future success.” -govciomedia.com

If 90% of unstructured data is not currently analyzed, then AI is here to stay. Therefore, we need a holistic robust AI framework as we work to shine a light on dark data across industries.

This comprehensive framework navigates responsible AI deployment, emphasizing governance, ethical considerations, and privacy in tandem with the NIST guidelines. ATLAS enhances AI security protocols, offering a proactive defense against emerging cyber threats, ensuring the robustness and RESILIENCE of AI systems. This initiative prioritizes transparency, accountability, environmental sustainability and public interest, fostering innovation securely.

Agencies like the FDA and FTC have integrated AI considerations into their technology transformation roadmaps, particularly in healthcare, finance, and transportation.

DOD’s Heidi Shyu

“We’re tying the pieces together,” she said. “Now we’re tying the [security and privacy] piece to a huge area we’re investing in that could change the future. So all that is starting to integrate together.” At an AFCEA event recently, Shyu stressed to the audience of private industry professionals that the DOD is their partner.

The amalgamation of NIST AI RMF and the innovative MITRE ATLAS AI Threat Model underscores the Federal Government's commitment to a standardized, secure, and ethically sound AI landscape, leading to technological evolution.

15 of 15

Gina Guillaume-Joseph, PhD

Chief Innovation Officer

Eztera Digital Solutions

Contact Information:

gina@eztera.com

703-930-3591