NSF awards $20M to Brown-led institute focused on developing trustworthy, context-aware AI assistants for mental health and beyond.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a five-year, $20 million grant to establish the AI Research Institute on Interaction for AI Assistants (ARIA), led by Brown University. The institute’s mission is to develop a new generation of AI assistants that are trustworthy, sensitive, and context-aware, with a particular focus on mental and behavioral health applications. The research will emphasize AI interpretability, adaptability, and participatory design, ensuring that AI systems can be understood, tailored to diverse users, and co-designed with stakeholders.
A key goal of the project is to create a Consumer Reports-style evaluation framework for measuring the trustworthiness of AI systems in mental health. This initiative addresses the growing need for safe and reliable AI assistants in sensitive domains, where user trust and safety are paramount. The multi-institutional effort will explore how AI can better understand and respond to human needs, paving the way for more responsible and effective AI deployment in healthcare and other critical sectors.
Source: Brown University