4/1/2025 in Press Releases, Responsible AI/Tech Equity

National Fair Housing Alliance Outlines Key Considerations for OSTP Director Michael Kratsios

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

National Fair Housing Alliance Outlines Key Considerations

for OSTP Director Michael Kratsios

Washington, D.C. – Following President Trump’s letter to newly appointed OSTP Director Michael Kratsios, the National Fair Housing Alliance® (NFHA™) emphasizes urgent considerations to guide America’s scientific and technological strategies. The organization emphasizes integrating civil rights perspectives into science and technology policy to ensure advancements benefit all individuals.

“President Trump’s call for a Golden Age of American Innovation highlights an important opportunity,” said Dr. Michael Akinwumi, NFHA’s Chief AI Officer. “But achieving genuine innovation requires addressing longstanding inequities and embedding civil rights principles within America’s innovation ecosystem.”

The letter outlines three challenges: securing U.S. leadership in critical and emerging technologies, revitalizing science and technology enterprise, and ensuring innovation drives economic growth and improves the lives of all. These challenges present both opportunities and risks, Akinwumi said.

NFHA urges Director Kratsios to prioritize:

  • Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Deployment of Technologies: Ensure critical and emerging technologies protect against discrimination, have a high degree of accuracy and are reliable while upholding civil liberties, building on guidelines such as those in the ethics framework for the intelligence community and NFHA’s comments on the AI Action Plan RFI.
  • Diversity and Inclusion in STEM and Emerging Technologies: Promote policies increasing diversity in the scientific workforce, which are supported by NSF programs as a “dynamic and highly qualified workforce is vital to maintaining the nation’s standard of excellence and global leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” according to the National Science Foundation and which are in alignment with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and anti-discrimination statutes. Additionally, we urge that the agency’s approach to critical and emerging technologies centers diversity and inclusion as fundamental, actionable principles guiding America’s leadership in technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and blockchain technology.
  • Fair Access to Technology: Bridge the digital divide by supporting fair and affordable internet access and digital literacy to materialize and sustain the gains of federal efforts like the Department of Education’s STEM initiatives. OSTP policies should also promote equal access to high-quality internet and technologies.
  • Collaboration with Civil Society: Engage with civil and human rights organizations to ensure marginalized communities’ perspectives inform science and technology policy strategies of the OSTP.

“Science and technology can transform and improve society, but must respect and promote civil and human rights,” Dr. Akinwumi added. “We look forward to collaborating with Director Kratsios and OSTP to build an innovative ecosystem truly reflective of our nation’s values.”

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The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) is the country’s only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. As the trade association for over 170 fair housing and justice-centered organizations and individuals throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.

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