Lisa A. Hayes

 My latest in Federal News Network discussing key priorities for the newly created Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board. 1. I might sound like a broken record - but the first step will be to prioritize targets. "Critical infrastructure" has massive scope and members should concentrate core systems including the grid, water, energy, transportation, and healthcare. Focusing on these essential areas will allow for deep consideration and effective action. 2. Prioritize preparation for cyber. Focus on analyzing existing regulations, identifying gaps, opportunities for harmonization, and ensuring government agencies are adequately resourced to address potential AI-related threats. While such threats have yet to emerge in force, policy should focus less on trying to avert specific threats and instead on preparing for unknown. We don't know what may come down the line but building the capacity for nimble analysis and well-resourced action will be key to future success. 3. Prioritize Diffusion. Recognize AI's potential to improve reliability and efficiency in critical infrastructure by studying bottlenecks, regulations, and research needs that hold back success. AI applications such as predicting wind power supply, detecting downed powerlines, and augmenting cyber defenses could significantly benefit these systems. By concentrating on these priorities and developing clear strategies, the AI Safety and Security Board can ensure much needed trust and maximum AI success in our nation's most essential systems, leading to a more prosperous future. https://lnkd.in/eRrZKSew

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Comments for Tech Policy Press on this week's report from the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence led by co-chairs Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) laying out recommendations on AI: This week’s bi-partisan Congressional Report on AI highlights a critical challenge: while AI systems are rapidly becoming a backbone for decision-making across sectors, we cannot yet be sure they are fair. While it is frequently assumed that AI fairness is about preventing historical forms of discrimination, the truth is more complex: AI systems can develop unexpected, and even arbitrary, preferences. As we expand AI deployment across housing, employment, education, and criminal justice, assuring basic fairness is an essential safeguard. Without it, we will undoubtedly have consequential but unfair outcomes that are both undetected and uncorrected. The Report also rightly flags the profound relationship between uses of AI and civil liberties. In the current moment, we must recognize that our widespread lack of data privacy and foundational data minimization poses the real “x-risk” for this technology, given the threat of manipulation of public opinion, including micro-targeting of highly tailored disinformation, the growing use of facial and bio-metric recognition tools, and the consequences these all may have when powered at scale for a fair, free, and democratic society. https://lnkd.in/exbXZznr

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What happened with Meta yesterday? What's the future of TikTok? Who are the members of Congress who matter to you? We won't know the answer to these questions for awhile yet. In the meantime, focus on identifying YOUR priorities. What matters to your organization? Solidifying alignment on your organization's priorities gives you certainty, even when the rest of the world looks hazy. __ Want help figuring out your priorities? Shoot us a note at [email protected].

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I am ecstatic to invite you to join me for a virtual discussion with Marc Solomon, former National Campaign Director for Freedom to Marry, and Desmond Meade, former President for Florida Voting Restoration Amendment. We will dive into “Creating Conditions to Win: The Power of Narrative Strategy” on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gibyxcQt Communications envisioned in its most powerful and expansive sense, encompassing not only strategic communications but also narrative, arts, and culture, brings the power necessary to create enabling conditions to advance policy, by catalyzing the imagination necessary to envision alternative futures and build the will to make them real. A pivotal question that communicators of our generation are uniquely suited to answer is: what will it take to create a new ideological framework for our nation that allows us to truly see and appreciate the humanity in everyone, and be so compelled by that understanding that there is no other choice but to redesign our nation to work for all? This session will unpack the power of communications and narrative strategy to make it possible for all people in America to imagine, believe, and make real systems and policies that work for all. We will surface key lessons from recognizable winning movements spotlighting the narrative strategy that created the enabling conditions to win.

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Calling #intermediaries, #practitioners, and #funders. Please join Common Future and Dalberg tomorrow for this critical conversation about how we move #forward together in the midst of continued #racialjustice #backlash. We remain focused and steadfast in our journey to create a #justsociety. We know the political winds do change, and my have things changed from moment to moment over the course of the past couple of weeks--truly an understatement--yet, our continued work is what creates the #enablingconditions and the #change we need. Join us!

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Last week, we filed supplemental testimony with the United States Commission on Civil Rights on the use of Artificial Intelligence by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-- we close them with a what we hope is a useful set of questions for DHS: 1) What stakeholder engagement is planned around specific use cases? 2) What empirical testing has been conducted with real-world users (e.g., has TSA measured whether or not airline passengers fully understand their ability to withhold consent at checkpoints to FRT uses? What evidence suggests that they do or do not feel at liberty to make a choice?) 3) What changes in biometric surveillance policy or other steps are DHS considering, if any, in light of the OMB EO? 4) What programs at DHS will likely receive waivers in December and what is the timeline for aligning those uses with the requirements of the EO? 5) What are the implications for FRT of Secretary Mayorkas’s new AI initiative? 6) What evidence of consent for data collection does DHS regarding its well-publicized collections of DMV and utility data that include US citizens? 7) Why does DHS feel a need to hold onto non-citizen data for an astonishing 75 years? 8) What training has been completed at this stage in terms of the timeline and what has yet to be done? 9) Does the planned training adequately capture the human factors and limitations of the tech use cases? Will the training be shared with the Commission? Has it been independently evaluated? 10) What are safety evaluations that have been conducted by DHS regarding risks to migrants and new, more hazardous corridors that may be created in light of the plan to expand DHS surveillance technologies and towers at the border? https://lnkd.in/eM3K7vm7

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OVC announces two new solicitations: Meeting the Basic Needs of Crime Survivors in Underserved Communities: https://lnkd.in/e9UvCG6T These grants will help programs in communities hard hit by crime to address the basic needs of crime victims, such as transportation, temporary or transitional housing, clothing, food, and other items for their well-being, healing, or safety. Through this funding opportunity, OVC hopes to support culturally specific victim serving organizations that understand the complex, multilayered, and specific challenges that crime victims from underserved communities face when attempting to access services. This solicitation is part of a pilot program to streamline the grant application process and encourage applications from smaller organizations, organizations in underserved areas, and organizations that have never received federal funding. In addition to simple, clear language, OVC is also offering applicants multiple ways to submit their project narratives. Applicants can submit project plans using a questionnaire, through a video explaining their project, or by signing up to give an oral presentation. The second funding opportunity is the FY 2024 field-generated solicitation to increase options and expand access for crime victims: https://lnkd.in/eaCDrSyx These grants are meant to provide funding for programs that offer innovative solutions to increase the service options available to crime victims, expand access to underheard and underrepresented communities, or improve the way information is delivered to crime victims. Through this funding opportunity, applicants get to tell OVC about an issue that needs solving and their proposed innovative way to address it! Learn more about the projects previously funded by this opportunity in the comments.

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It's never been more important for associations and companies to have effective third-party group advocacy programs. The volume of state and federal legislative and regulatory proposals presenting direct threats (or opportunities) for corporate America is increasing yearly. Leveraging a network of advocacy organizations, interest groups, and think tanks to strengthen your profile and echo your policy priorities is the X factor that can separate your advocacy programs from the competition. Nexus Public Affairs can help build and manage a winning third-party group advocacy program to reinforce your state and federal government affairs goals. Do you want to take your coalition efforts to the next level? Reach out to learn how Nexus Public Affairs can help you too. 

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Privacy of Americans on the line, as the big tech & media co's lobbying the new Administration feel free to expand their massive capture & use of our data--including on our health, finances, location, personal interests, race/ethnicity & what our kids/teens do. The broadly defined "commercial surveillance" system--which undermines journalism, media diversity, consumer protection, public health & privacy--is a crucial area for advocacy.

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Interesting report from Brookings in the US on Gen AI and the workforce, adds to the growing chorus of experts calling for workers to be more actively involved in decisions around AI, identifying the centrality of unions in representing worker voice https://lnkd.in/gXn5-9Yu

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🚨 Great gig alert 🚨 Calling legal eagles, policy wonks, program directors and others interested in addressing #tech #privacy #humanrights #AIethics and more. Check out and subscribe to this great consolidator newsletter from Michael Samway's group! Head's up to my friends in Operators Guild in particular!

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We at Exiger including myself as the White House lead for the supply chain task force for accleration during the pandemic, recognize the critical impact of the ongoing strike. The repercussions extend beyond mere inconvenience, affecting relief efforts post-hurricane Helen. FEMA stockpiles urgently require replenishment, with essential supplies still stranded on cargo ships in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. For companies navigating supply chain disruptions or seeking alternative suppliers, our team at Exiger is here to help. Don't hesitate to reach out for support in tracking your products' journey and exploring viable solutions. #Exiger #SupplyChain #ReliefEfforts #FEMA #HurricaneHelen #LogisticsAssistance

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Learning so much from the detailed and rich report out this week from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on Facial Recognition Technology. There is specific information on each of the federal agencies that is well worth reading for those following this topic closely or anyone interested in the current state of some of the federal government practices around biometrics and data privacy. I was pleased to have a few quotes embedded, and particularly liked the practical IRL example of a "dark pattern" at airports around FRT, which was a whole conversation at the hearing. While the storage of the data locally by TSA is a plus, whether the public does or does not understand the ability to opt out in real time as they clear hurdles to boarding a plane is a practical example of how power and coercion around loss of privacy are major factors we should always consider, and test for, as we know that people will not experience agency equally: "Why don’t we opt out when we approach that checkpoint? Well, it’s about the power dynamics of withholding our consent. We’re approaching an official checkpoint that has the power to disrupt our plans on a ticket we’ve already bought, and most people would not be well-informed that they can opt out without penalty or consequence. They would simply defer. So, this question of power dynamics and how technology shows up in the real world, who knows how it works and who doesn’t? . . . We have to think about the real-world testing [of] the power dynamics that are implicit in any of these situations in order to understand the civil rights implications." https://lnkd.in/eXeYBXkg

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I was honored to testify this morning before the House Energy and Commerce Committee concerning the recent bipartisan, bicameral draft privacy legislation, the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA), and various other privacy and kids-related bills. My main messages were straightforward: 1. APRA presents a renewed opportunity to finish the long overdue job of passing a federal privacy law. The need for such a law is clear, and the explosive emergence of AI has only heightened that need. 2. APRA provides a sound framework built on data minimization, non-discrimination requirements, consumer rights, restrictions on data brokers, and effective enforcement. 3. To be sure, APRA will need refinement, from strengthening the protections for kids to clarifying some of the provisions around advertising. But the release of the draft is encouraging. 4. CDT has long advocated for comprehensive federal privacy legislation, and we look forward to continuing to work with legislators from both parties and other stakeholders to help move APRA through the legislative process and (hopefully!) into law.

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At the start of 2024, I highlighted the critical role YouTube and Google Search would play in shaping the political narrative, particularly in right-wing digital strategies. This focus was grounded in a deep understanding of these platforms’ outsized influence on public opinion and their prominence in right wing digital campaigns. This year, I worked closely with progressive teams and abortion ballot initiative campaigns, training others on a proven strategy and developing targeted interventions to counter disinformation from search on these key platforms. This article, in addition to recent research, validates this focus. Our analysis of search behavior and digital platforms continues to provide valuable insights. This process is providing clarity in the post-election landscape and revealing the impact of our efforts. As the media landscape evolves, understanding how voters access and engage with information becomes increasingly important. The data we’re examining offers a clearer picture of online advocacy strategies and potential new approaches for progressive outreach in the digital space. And this is what is giving me life this week. #disinformation #misinformation #abortion #election #google #googleseo #seo #informationecosystem

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Delighted to be invited to contribute to Discourse Magazine's 'What's Coming in 2025?' For AI policy, there are no doubt countless trends to watch from regulatory activity in the states, to the work of the Trump White House's new AI Tsar. To pick just one development: Autonomous vehicle reform is among the most likely high-impact changes we see in the coming year. Already this tech both appears safe and is in active commercial operation. More critically, Elon Musk's unique interest in AV deregulation and sway with Trump could open the policy window to reform. https://lnkd.in/egZ3KGvr

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Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo addressed a range of workforce and jobs skills challenges during her insightful fireside chat today with Robert Espinoza at National Skills Coalition #NSCSummit2024. She talked about the importance of upskilling programs and the urgent need for more inclusive training programs (women can work in trade jobs, too!). Lastly, as has been on my mind lately, the Secretary urged us all to keep our eyes on AI and digitization, and ensure we aren’t leaving anyone behind. #ArtificialIntelligence #digitalinclusion

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Digital discrimination is a systemic problem, largely impacting low-income communities & communities of color across California (and the nation). Our movement must be louder & stronger than the big internet service providers who benefit from the status quo. Stand with us as we call for a ban on digital discrimination in California: https://lnkd.in/gfX5yrGU #DigitalEquityNOW #AB2239  

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