Partnership on AI and Microsoft Launch Fund Supporting New AI Expert Group
Gift from Microsoft in Honor of PAI Founding Board Chair Eric Horvitz; Horvitz Named One of Four Inaugural Recipients of PAI’s Changemakers Awards
Seattle, WA – December 4, 2024 – Partnership on AI (PAI), a nonprofit multistakeholder organization dedicated to the responsible and inclusive development of AI, today announced its new SAIGE Fund during its annual Partner Forum. The Fund, established with a gift from Microsoft, will support the formation of an international advisory body of interdisciplinary experts, from across sectors, to provide sustained counsel to advise on emerging topics and the current state of safety and responsibility, and inform PAI’s agenda-setting and impact.
Microsoft’s gift honors Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft and PAI’s Founding Board Chair, whose passion and leadership for multistakeholder work in the public interest has been integral to PAI’s impact.
“The SAIGE Fund would not be possible without the vision of Eric Horvitz,” said Rebecca Finlay, CEO at Partnership on AI. “As one of our earliest and longest standing Board members, his leadership and vision have been critical in advancing our mission to ensure AI advances benefit people and society. We are grateful for Microsoft’s recognition of Eric’s passion for interdisciplinary research and their founding support of this new fund to advance PAI’s excellence and evidence-informed action.”
“Microsoft is proud to continue our support of PAI with today’s gift in support of the SAIGE advisory body,” said Natasha Crampton, Chief Responsible AI Officer and PAI Board Member. “To drive AI adoption, we need expertise from industry, academia, and the non-profit sector to guide its governance and help build trust in the technology. This makes multistakeholder forums like PAI and the forthcoming SAIGE advisory body more valuable than ever.”
“The SAIGE Fund is an important initiative that will support PAI in its continued mission to drive multistakeholder collaboration for safe and responsible AI,” said Jerremy Holland, Chair of PAI Board of Directors. “Working alongside Eric Horvitz on the PAI Board at a time of profound change in the AI industry demonstrated the importance and value of coordinating across companies, industries, and sectors to advance impact.”
PAI Changemakers Awards
In addition to the Fund, Partnership on AI also announced the inaugural recipients of its Changemakers Awards during its Partner Forum. The 2024 recipients are:
- Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence at PolicyLink
- Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft
- Carol Rose, Executive Director at ACLU of Massachusetts
- Eric Sears, Director, Technology in the Public Interest at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Established to recognize leadership and impact in the responsible AI community, PAI’s Changemakers Awards commend individuals who champion projects addressing societal challenges; leverage their influence to shape public understanding of ethical AI; and build cross-sector partnerships, ensuring community voices are integral to AI development.
All four of these leaders were influential members of PAI’s Board of Directors at pivotal moments in the organization’s evolution and strategic direction-setting. In addition to their contributions throughout their careers to the broader technology, AI and rights community, PAI is indebted to them for their expertise and passion for our multistakeholder mission and our vision that AI is developed to advance equity, justice and shared prosperity.
About Partnership on AI
Partnership on AI (PAI) is a non-profit organization that brings together diverse stakeholders from academia, civil society, and industry to ensure artificial intelligence (AI) advances positive outcomes for people and society. PAI develops tools, recommendations, and other resources by inviting voices from the AI community and beyond to share insights and perspectives. These insights are then synthesized into actionable guidance that can be used to drive adoption of responsible AI practices, inform public policy, and advance public understanding of AI. To learn more, visit partnershiponai.org.