  We present a response to the 2018 Request for Information (RFI) from the
NITRD, NCO, NSF regarding the "Update to the 2016 National Artificial
Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan." Through this document,
we provide a response to the question of whether and how the National
Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan (NAIRDSP)
should be updated from the perspective of Fermilab, America's premier national
laboratory for High Energy Physics (HEP). We believe the NAIRDSP should be
extended in light of the rapid pace of development and innovation in the field
of Artificial Intelligence (AI) since 2016, and present our recommendations
below. AI has profoundly impacted many areas of human life, promising to
dramatically reshape society --- e.g., economy, education, science --- in the
coming years. We are still early in this process. It is critical to invest now
in this technology to ensure it is safe and deployed ethically. Science and
society both have a strong need for accuracy, efficiency, transparency, and
accountability in algorithms, making investments in scientific AI particularly
valuable. Thus far the US has been a leader in AI technologies, and we believe
as a national Laboratory it is crucial to help maintain and extend this
leadership. Moreover, investments in AI will be important for maintaining US
leadership in the physical sciences.
