Washington, DC – On Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 10:00 am, the Strategic Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), chaired by Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), will convene an open hearing to discuss challenges facing the United States Government (USG) – in particular, the Intelligence Community (IC) – in developing, deploying, and exploiting next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence to the advantage of the national security of the United States and its allies. This is the second open hearing that the Committee has held this Congress on the national challenges facing the IC related to rapidly advancing technologies, which continue to be a major focus of HPSCI’s oversight and legislative work.
Among other topics, the Subcommittee will seek testimony on:
- The hurdles preventing engagement between the Intelligence Community and the private sector entities – including academia and industry – developing next-generation technologies;
- How to better equip the Intelligence Community with the people, authorities and tools it needs to adopt next-generation technologies;
- How public perceptions of the Intelligence Community influence the way in which researchers and companies engage with the Intelligence Community; and
- What ethical norms should govern how the Intelligence Community incorporates next-generation technologies into its activities.
The Subcommittee has invited the following witnesses to attend:
- Mr. Chris Darby, Chief Executive Officer, In-Q-Tel
- Dr. DJ Patil, Advisor, Venrock and former U.S. Chief Data Scientist, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Mr. Nick Sinai, Senior Advisor, Insight Ventures and former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer
- Dr. Maria Zuber, Vice President for Research, Massachusetts Institute for Technology and Member, National Science Board
WHAT: STAR Subcommittee hearing to discuss challenges facing the United States in developing, deploying, and exploiting next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence to the advantage of the national security of the United States and its allies.
WHERE: 2020 Rayburn House Office Building
WHEN: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 10:00 am. (Doors open at 9:00 am.)
LIVESTREAM: Watch here.
Below are the witness biographies:
Mr. Chris Darby: Chris Darby has served as President and CEO of In-Q-Tel since September 2006. In January 2019, Chris was nominated as a commissioner on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Darby was previously Vice President and General Manager at Intel, where he oversaw the Middleware Products Division. At Intel, Darby had responsibility for the corporation’s Infrastructure Software business, including open source and commercial products. He joined Intel in August 2005 with the acquisition of Sarvega, where Darby served as President and CEO.
Dr. DJ Patil: DJ Patil has held a variety of roles in Academia, Industry, and Government. He is Head of Technology for Devoted Health, a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School, and an Advisor to Venrock Partners He was appointed by President Obama to be the first U.S. Chief Data Scientist where his efforts led to the establishment of nearly 40 Chief Data Officer roles across the Federal government. He also established new health care programs including the Precision Medicine Initiative and the Cancer Moonshot, new criminal justice reforms including the Data-Driven Justice and Police Data Initiatives that cover more than 94 million Americans, as well as leading the national data efforts. He also has been active in national security and for his efforts, was awarded by Secretary Carter the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, which is the highest honor the department bestows on a civilian.
Mr. Nick Sinai: Nick Sinai is a Senior Advisor at Insight Partners, where he helps Insight-backed companies enter and grow in the federal and defense markets, and is on the board of BrightBytes, a data analytics company focused on improving K12 education. Sinai also serves as Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he teaches a field course in technology and innovation in government. Prior to Insight and Harvard, Sinai served as U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer. At the White House, Sinai led President Obama’s Open Data Initiatives to harness the power of data to fuel innovation and economic growth. Sinai also led the Open Government Initiative to ensure the Federal Government is more transparent, participatory, and collaborative.
Dr. Maria Zuber: Maria T. Zuber is the vice president for research and the E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She oversees MIT Lincoln Laboratory and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research laboratories and centers. Zuber’s research bridges planetary geophysics and the technology of space-based laser and radio systems. Since 1990, she has held leadership roles on ten NASA missions, most notably serving as Principal Investigator of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory or GRAIL mission. In 2004, appointed by President George W. Bush, she served on the Presidential Commission on the Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy. In 2013, President Barak Obama appointed her to the National Science Board and in 2018 she was reappointed by President Donald J. Trump. She served as Board Chair from 2016-2018.