To give female academics and others focused on AI their well-deserved and overdue spotlight time, TechCrunch is launching a series of interviews highlighting notable women who have contributed to the AI revolution. Start. As the AI boom continues, we'll be publishing several articles throughout the year highlighting key research that may go unrecognized. Click here for a detailed profile.
Kathi Vidal is an American intellectual property attorney and former engineer who serves as Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Vidal began his career as an engineer at General Electric and Lockheed Martin, working in the fields of AI, software engineering, and circuits. She holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Binghamton University, a master's degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.
Q&A
In short, how did you get started in AI? What attracted you to this field?
When I started college at age 16, I became interested in scientific problem solving. I was constantly tinkering with an oscilloscope I bought at a garage sale. I loved working on the Dodge Dart. Because of this early attraction, I was selected by her as one of two women selected for GE's Edison Engineering Program. We worked weekly on technical problem solving across engineering and science disciplines, in addition to rotating shifts in various technical areas. When I was approached to join her team of three working in the field of artificial intelligence, I jumped at the chance. In the early 1990s, it was exciting to be involved in new and groundbreaking research that could be applied across science and engineering fields to devise ways to innovate more creatively. I saw this as a way to escape the rigidity of current design principles and more closely emulate the nuances humans bring to problem solving.
What work (in the AI field) are you most proud of?
It will connect my current work on U.S. government AI policy, where AI and innovation intersect, with my work developing the first AI fault diagnosis system for aircraft. Regarding the latter, in the early 1990s we used neural networks, fuzzy logic, and expert systems to build resilient, self-learning systems. I went to law school before systems were introduced, but I was excited about creating something new in the relatively nascent field of AI (compared to today's AI) and collaborating with a Ph.D. at GE Research. and were excited to share what they learned throughout the project. . I became so interested in AI that I ended up writing a master's thesis on my job.
How do we overcome the challenges of a male-dominated tech industry and, by extension, a male-dominated AI industry?
Frankly, in the 1990s, the way I got through engineering challenges was to be compliant (without even realizing I was compliant). It probably goes without saying that times were different back then, and most leadership positions in engineering and law firms were more male-dominated than they are today. Several male colleagues suggested to me that I needed to learn how to laugh less. But I found joy in life and what I was doing. I remember speaking to a room full of women at a women's conference we founded in the mid-2000s (before women's conferences were common). After my speech, several audience members came to congratulate me and said they had never seen me so full of life and full of life. And I was talking about patent law. At that time, I had an “aha'' moment. Being valued for my integrity made me feel accepted and successful in my work.
Since then, I have focused on being authentic and creating an inclusive environment where women can thrive. For example, I have revamped the hiring and promotion practices of the organizations I have worked for. The USPTO recently found that these changes increased leadership diversity by nearly 5% within a year. I advocate for policies that open the door for more women to participate in innovation, recognizing that over 40% of people who use our free legal services to file patent applications are women. Despite our efforts, only 13% of patented inventors are women. — So we're working hard to bridge that gap. Along with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, I established the Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative across the U.S. Department of Commerce to empower more women business leaders and provide them with the information and support they need to succeed. did. We also proudly promote policies that uplift not only women. But through my work helping to lead the Inclusive Innovation Council and the Economic Development Authority's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, I am working to connect other communities that have historically been underrepresented in our innovation ecosystem. The same is true. In her free time, she spends her time mentoring others, sharing lessons learned, and developing the next generation of leaders and advocates. I obviously can't do this job alone. We work together with like-minded women and men.
What advice would you give to women looking to enter the AI field?
I need you first, so please keep going. To reduce risks of bias and safety, it is important to involve women in shaping their future AI models. And there are so many pioneers in the world. Two examples are Feifei Li of Stanford University and Elham Tabassi of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). I am grateful to the incredible leaders on the front lines of AI: Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Zoe Baird of the Department of Commerce, Laurie LoCascio, Director of NIST, Sheila Perlmutter, Director of the Copyright Office, and the AI Safety Institute. I am honored to be working with our new Director, Elizabeth Kelly. Creating the future will require all of us working together across government and the private sector. Otherwise, the future will be made for us. And it may not be the future we believe or desire.
The second thing is to find a tailwind and persist. Ask questions and get your goals out there so others can support you on your journey. Don't take “no” personally. Think of “no” and resistance as headwinds. Find your tailwinds, the mentors and sponsors who buy in to you, your success, and what you can contribute in this very important area.
What are the most pressing issues facing AI as it evolves?
The United States is fortunate to lead the world in innovation by AI developers, so we also have a responsibility to lead policies that make AI safe, trustworthy, and advance American values. We are pursuing this in cooperation with other countries in several multilateral and bilateral capacities. The USPTO has a long history of this type of collaboration and leadership. To ensure that American values are embedded in AI policy, the AI and Emerging Technology Partnership, launched in 2022, will support the Biden administration's whole-of-government approach to AI, including the National AI Initiative, and build upon U.S. leadership in AI. We are promoting it. Most recently, we clarified the level of human contribution required to patent an AI-powered invention, fostering human ingenuity and encouraging investment in AI-powered innovation. , published guidance to ensure that future innovation is not hampered by needlessly locking up innovation or stifling competition. To our knowledge, this is the first such instruction in the world. We need to achieve the same goals and balance when it comes to the creative sector, and we are working with stakeholders and copyright offices to achieve this.
While we at the USPTO are focused on leveraging AI to democratize and scale innovation and policy at the intersection of AI and intellectual property, we are also focused on safety, the development of safe and trustworthy AI, and use, and the mechanisms that generate trust in AI.
What issues should AI users be aware of?
As President Biden stated in his executive order on AI, the responsible use of AI has the potential to solve urgent challenges and make our world richer, more productive, more innovative, and safer. However, irresponsible use can exacerbate social harms such as fraud, discrimination, and prejudice. And disinformation. Fire workers and take away their rights. suppress competition; and pose a risk to national security. ” AI users must use AI thoughtfully and carefully to avoid perpetuating these harms. One important way to do this is to stay on top of the work NIST is doing through its AI Risk Management Framework and the National AI Safety Institute.
What is the best way to build AI responsibly?
together. Building AI responsibly requires not only government intervention and policy, but also industry leadership. President Biden recognized this when he convened private AI companies to make voluntary commitments to manage the risks posed by AI. We at the U.S. government also need your feedback to do our jobs. We regularly solicit your input through public engagement efforts, as well as requests for information and comments in the Federal Register. For example, through our AI and Emerging Technologies Partnership, we solicited customer comments before developing guidance for inventors on AI-assisted inventions. We will respond to requests for information on the intersection of copyright and AI from the Copyright Office and use your comments to advise the Biden administration on domestic and international strategy. NIST asked for input and input to support the safe, secure, and reliable development and use of AI, and NTIA asked for feedback on AI accountability. And we at the USPTO are considering how patent laws should be shaped to take into account the potential for AI to impact other patentability factors and create a minefield of “prior art” that makes patenting difficult. We will be issuing another request for comment soon to consider whether we should evolve to . . The best thing to do is to stay tuned to government efforts on AI, including NIST, USPTO, NTIA, and the Department of Commerce at large, and provide feedback so we can build responsible AI together.
How can investors more effectively promote responsible AI?
Investors should do what they do best: invest in work. Progress in responsible AI does not emerge from a vacuum. Companies in this space need to work hard to become the responsible AI companies of tomorrow. We need investors to ask the right questions, drive responsible development, and use their funds to support responsible AI in the future. Additionally, they must impress upon their portfolio companies that they prioritize intellectual property protection, cybersecurity, and do not accept investments from questionable sources. All three are necessary to ensure jobs are managed, jobs create jobs, and strengthen national security.