From Insight to Impact: Reflections From the 2020 All Partners Meeting

In our rapidly changing world, the work of promoting responsible AI has never been more important. In service of that mission, the Partnership on AI (PAI) is proud to have hosted its fourth annual All Partners Meeting (APM) earlier this month, conducting the event entirely online for the very first time.

Each fall, PAI invites its members to convene at APM for an exciting meeting of minds, previously gathering in London, Berlin, and San Francisco. This year, we instead brought the conference to our Partners through the internet. From October 7th to 9th, PAI members around the globe attended a series of virtual Town Halls to discuss pressing concerns related to the development and deployment of AI. A Welcome Talk from Executive Director Terah Lyons and Spotlight Talks representing our Issue Areas were also released prior to the start of APM and continue to be available for streaming online.

As a natural turning of the page, the All Partners Meeting serves as a time for the Partnership to reflect on what we’ve achieved and look forward to that which what is still to come. In 2020, there were plenty of both for our community to celebrate. During this year’s APM Town Hall talks, attendees learned about:

• PAI’s efforts to promote a healthy information ecosystem online. This includes ongoing work on the detection and labeling of manipulated media as well as upcoming research identifying potential threats, testing interventions, and exploring responsible content ranking principles.
• Past and future workshops on how to maximize benefits and minimize harms when publishing novel AI research. Additionally, a new project examining this question through the lens of high-stakes technologies.
• The SafeLife leaderboard, a new competitive benchmark for training non-destructive agents in an AI learning environment.
• The Partnership’s extensive research on AI’s intersections with social justice. This covers new and continuing initiatives concerning algorithmic fairness and explainability, the criminal justice system, and diversity and inclusion as it relates to both the application of these systems and the AI community itself.
• A cross-disciplinary body of thinkers developing a framework for a future where AI economically benefits all of humanity. In addition, a new project exploring responsible sourcing practices in the AI industry.

It is the participation of Partners themselves, however, that makes APM so special. PAI is so glad they could join us for these productive and engaging sessions. As we approach 2021, our community will continue play a critical role in the future of AI, helping translate insights into positive impact on the world. In the coming year, we’re excited to offer even more virtual events and other opportunities to get involved with our work.

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