The NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has launched a project to accelerate the standardization of artificial intelligence and make the process more inclusive. The program, called Zero Drafts, aims to create preliminary drafts of standards, gathering input from the scientific and industrial communities before submitting them to standardization bodies.
A New Method for Creating Standards
Typically, standards are defined by Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) through long consensus processes among experts. However, the fast pace of AI development makes this methodology less suitable. Two major challenges emerge:
- The need to develop standards quickly, avoiding fragmentation and responding to the sector’s concrete needs.
- The necessity of involving diverse expertise, given AI’s broad impact on research, industry, and society.
To address these challenges, NIST proposes a more agile process while maintaining the scientific quality of the documents.
How the Zero Drafts Project Works
NIST will follow a series of key steps:
- Identifying priority topics through dialogue with stakeholders.
- Publishing a conceptual document for each selected topic.
- Creating an initial draft based on received feedback.
- Iteratively revising the document through further discussions.
- Submitting the final draft to standardization bodies for formal adoption.
These documents will be in-depth and tailored to industry needs but will remain open to modifications during the official standardization process.
The First Topics Addressed
The initial Zero Drafts will focus on crucial areas for the future of AI, including:
- Model and data documentation: Defining standardized schemas to describe AI system characteristics.
- Testing and validation methodologies: Metrics to evaluate AI algorithms’ performance and reliability.
- AI architecture definition: Classifying technological levels and roles within AI development.
- Mitigating risks related to synthetic content: Tools to ensure transparency and traceability of AI-generated information.
Invitation to Participate
NIST encourages the community to contribute suggestions and proposals on:
- The working method adopted.
- Priorities to be addressed.
- Specific needs of the AI sector.
- Strategies to make drafts clearer and more useful.
Anyone interested in participating can send suggestions to ai-standards@nist.gov. Additionally, organizations and companies can propose listening sessions to facilitate discussion.
Glossary
- NIST – National Institute of Standards and Technology, a U.S. agency responsible for technical standardization.
- SDO – Standards Developing Organizations, entities that create recognized standards.
- TEVV – Testing, Evaluation, Verification, and Validation, a set of processes to assess the correctness and reliability of an AI system.
