Oregon should join the AI bandwagon

Artificial Intelligence is exploding as concerns mount about its potential misuse, creating opportunities to exploit and check the technology

Gov. Tina Kotek led the charge to make Oregon more inviting to semiconductor industry expansion. Now she should do the same for the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry.

The daily news is filled with stories about AI – describing its beneficial uses from medical care to manufacturing, as well as warning signs about its potential existential dangers. Both are opportunities for Oregon.

Oregon has a history as a seedbed of innovative industry. In addition to inventing the modern oscilloscope, Beaverton-based Tektronix won seven Emmy Awards for its contributions to television and broadcasting, including the special effects that made their debut on Olympic broadcasts. Tek spawned start-up companies based in Oregon that made heads-up displays for planes, cartographic printers and computer-aided engineering.

There was a Silicon Forest before Intel arrived in Hillsboro, which turned Oregon into a major semiconductor hub and generated its own wave of newcomers. That same tradition should guide the Governor and state leaders to pursue the next big thing in technology. We have a running start.

OHSU uses AI devices for diabetes and cancer treatments. PGE employs AI-enhanced cameras to detect heat and smoke in forested areas. Nike will manufacture 3D printed shoes designed with AI. Oregon State University has an interdisciplinary AI program that collaborates with other academic institutions and industry to solve specific, real-world problems.

There are thriving AI hotspots in San Francisco, Boston, New York City and Seattle. But AI is also flourishing in Mexico City, Nairobi and Jakarta. Nobody has an iron grip on the industry because the technology is exploding by the day. Startups become powerhouses overnight.

The reason is simple – AI is expanding into almost every corner of society. Potential customers range from vehicle manufacturers, security companies, fashion designers, banks, e-commerce, entertainment, health care, farms and timber managers.

As the applications of AI expand, so do concerns about its potential misuse. AI founders and leading exponents of its development agree there are dangers from disinformation to worker displacement. Yet no one fully agrees on how to identify and protect against those dangers. There is a clear opening for guardians, researchers and commentators to talk about AI, not out of fear but out of experience. Oregon could become a host and a hub for this dialogue.

AI will continue to refine and expand, simultaneously creating exponential jobs and existential concerns. Oregon can read about it in the news or be part of the movement that applies, shapes and restrains this rapidly advancing technology. Major AI developers have pledged to abide by safety and security standards. Someone with AI competence needs to monitor them and make sure they do. Checking for and exposing deep-fake videos can be a full-time job.

Unlike semiconductor manufacturing, AI companies can use existing office space just about anywhere with solid internet access. A good example is Predicta, which moved from San Francisco to vacant space in McMinnville in 2017. The company uses AI software to analyze data from online sources such as articles, blogs and social media posts to develop refined product insights for marketers.

No politician wants to take on a political or economic loser. AI is neither. It comes with the promise of jobs and continuing evolution. It has no geographical boundaries for development or introspection. There are investors ready to invest. There are vacant offices to fill.

AI development and systems could be the unicorn opportunity that draws urban and rural Oregon back together through joint enterprise. AI is already transforming agriculture by providing data to improve harvest quality, determine optimal irrigation and detect disease, pests and poor nutrition on farmland. AI can assist in forest mapping, improve harvesting techniques and prevent deforestation. It even could inform robotics on making harvesting and fighting wildfires more efficient and safer.

The Governor can call on in-state talent to provide advice about opportunities and pitfalls. She could champion AI development and research in Oregon without a major investment in state funding. She could be among the first governors of any party in any region to issue the invitation, “Come to Oregon and innovate AI”.

The impact of AI will be profound by fundamentally altering jobs from factory floors to office suites. It will create opportunities to work alongside AI-driven machines to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing potential hazards. It’s an opportunity for research on how to help Oregonians adapt to new workplace realities, informing colleges and trade schools on what new skills will be needed. It is another opportunity for Oregon to become a hotbed of the future by embracing AI for its promise and peril.

Oregon has benefitted from previous technology advances. The first Tektronix oscilloscope was sold in 1947 the University of Oregon Medical School. The state’s technology sector is still growing and accounts for more than 110,000 present-day jobs. AI could double that.

Last year, there were 800,000 AI-related job openings in the United States. Data from Stanford University indicated 10,000 openings were in Oregon. California is considered the birthplace of AI with privately funded research and major platform developers. It wouldn’t be the first time Oregon poached success from our neighboring state by offering available space, livability and a lower cost-of-living.

AI-driven change is happening and accelerating. It’s a moment not to repeat the hesitancy of the past. It’s time to jump in the pool and learn to swim. In this case, the pool is big enough for just about everyone in Oregon to take a dip.

Gary Conkling has been a newsman, congressional aide and public affairs professional for more than 50 years.