Robotics scientist Lynne Parker was a pioneer in figuring out how robots could work together to perform difficult missions, like cleaning up after a nuclear disaster, waxing warehouse floors or pulling barnacles off a ship. Now, her job is to get the U.S. government working together as director of a new national initiative on artificial intelligence. One of the first tasks for Parker, who took on the role in the waning days of the Trump administration, is adapting to the priorities set by the Biden administration, which has put more emphasis on confronting the societal risks of biased or faulty AI.
