Two Senate committees Tuesday unanimously passed a bill that continues momentum for a proposed artificial intelligence institute at the University of Hawaii.
A joint hearing of the Senate Higher Education and Labor and Technology committees passed the latest version of House Bill 546 to establish an “aloha intelligence institute” at UH that would “develop, support, and advance artificial intelligence initiatives statewide,” according to the bill.
HB 546 is now en route to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which has yet to schedule a hearing, with amendments.
At Tuesday’s public hearing, Higher Education Committee Chair Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D, Kalihi-Fort Shafter-Red Hill) said she hopes the bill results in the new facility because “we need AI.”
“Hopefully, there won’t be anything to impede this moving forward so (UH) can establish it and they can find money for it until they can commit and ask us for more funding,” Kim said.
According to the bill, the institute would “promote research and innovation in artificial intelligence tailored to Hawaii’s unique cultural, economic, and environmental needs,” provide “advance workforce development and education” for the community and “foster public-private partnerships to leverage resources and drive economic growth.”
Particularly, HB 546 states that the institute would facilitate research in AI with a focus on subjects like climate resilience, disaster management, agriculture and marine resource management, cultural and linguistic preservation and renewable energy optimization. It also will seek to foster public-private partnerships, according to the bill.
The institute also would be committed to the research, governance and ethics, development and applications of AI, which, according to bill, “is in the public interest and a matter of statewide concern.”
HB 546 comes as a necessity for UH’s 10-campus system, according to Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH’s vice president for research and innovation.
He wrote in supporting testimony that the AI institute would work within UH and as a partner of the state and broader community to “encourage economic development that is aligned with the state’s needs.”
“The AI institute will take a unified approach for AI insertion within activities involving UH, the state, and the greater community to address guidelines and policy, workforce development and training, and research and development in services, industries and clusters,” Syrmos wrote.
Matthew Kobayashi, projects development manager at Hawaii Technology Development Corp., also wrote in supporting testimony that a Hawaii-based AI institute would provide the community with research and innovation “tailored to Hawaii’s unique cultural, economic and environmental needs.”
“HTDC believes that the AI Institute will serve as a model of excellence for regional innovation, workforce development, knowledge creation, and social good,” Kobayashi wrote.
Similarly, John Shepherd, chief scientific officer at the UH Cancer Center, wrote in supporting testimony that “a statewide effort to organize the implementation and research of AI is critical to ensuring that AI is developed and deployed safely and effectively in Hawaii,” saying UH is the “right home for this effort.”
“The Aloha Intelligence Institute will serve as a focal point to attract private investment, greatly compounding the impact of the state’s investment with a high return on investment,” Shepherd wrote.
HB 546’s Senate companion, Senate Bill 1622, has been referred to three House committees but has yet to be scheduled for a hearing.
However, the potential establishment of an AI institute is just one of UH’s moves to integrate more AI initiatives across its statewide campuses. In February, UH partnered with Google to offer students and faculty free access to an online training course in AI.
The course, titled AI Essentials, teaches efficient and responsible use of AI and certifies its participants, which Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said in a February news release would give “young Hawaii residents the competitive edge they need to thrive in today’s economy.”
