NIST adds senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence

Mark Latonero will coordinate with international policymakers and organizations to advise on the impact of AI.

February 4, 2022

The NIST Advanced Measurement Laboratory building Gaitherburg, Md. Photo by Gail Porter/NIST.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology brought on Mark Latonero as senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

Latonero will coordinate with international policymakers and standards organizations to advise on the risks and impacts of AI.

The White House launched both the National AI Research Resource Task Force and National AI Advisory Committee in 2021 to strengthen the U.S.’s competitive position globally, but less attention has been paid to the problems with the technology.

“Engaging with social+technical experts along with diverse stakeholders will be central to this work,” Latonero wrote, in a LinkedIn post.

Latonero is also a research professor at Georgetown University and previously worked as a senior consultant to the U.N. Executive Office of the Secretary General, developing policy guidance on human rights due diligence for digital technology use. At the same time he was senior policy advisor at the Partnership on AI.

Latonero has a doctorate in communication, specializing in social science and emerging technology, from the University of Southern California.