[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77183-77184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26441]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION


CPSC Artificial Intelligence Forum

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Announcement of forum.

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SUMMARY: Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff is holding a 
forum on artificial intelligence (AI), and related technologies, such 
as Machine Learning (ML). CPSC staff invites interested parties to 
attend or participate in the AI forum via webinar.

DATES: The AI forum will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern 
Standard Time (EST) on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, via webinar. All 
attendees should pre-register for the webinar. Individuals interested 
in serving on panels or presenting information at the forum should 
register by January 15, 2020. All other individuals who wish to attend 
the forum should register by February 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: The forum will be held via webinar. Attendance is free of 
charge. Persons interested in attending the forum should register 
online at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4723099942466621456 and fill in the information. After registering, you 
will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining 
the webinar. Persons interested in serving on a panel or presenting 
information should email [email protected] an abstract by January 4, 
2021. Detailed instructions for the webinar participants and other 
interested parties will be made available on the CPSC website on the 
public calendar: https://cpsc.gov/newsroom/public-calendar.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nevin Taylor, Chief Technologist, 4330 
East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: 301-509-0264; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CPSC staff is hosting an AI forum to collect 
information on the voluntary consensus standards, certification, and 
product specification efforts associated with products using AI, ML, 
and related technologies. The information collected from the forum will 
assist staff in making recommendations for improving the safety of 
consumer products that include this technology.

I. Background

    For this Forum, we are generally defining ``Artificial 
intelligence'' (AI) as any method for programming computers or products 
to enable them to carry out tasks or behaviors that would require 
intelligence if performed by humans.\1\ ``Machine learning'' (ML) is 
typically understood to be an iterative process of applying models or 
algorithms to data sets to learn and detect patterns and/or perform 
tasks, such as prediction or decision making that can approximate some 
aspects of intelligence.\2\
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    \1\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25021/the-frontiers-of-machine-learning-2017-raymond-and-beverly-sackler.
    \2\ Ian Goodfellow Yoshua Bengio Aaron Courville, Deep Learning 
(Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning series), (MIT Press, 
2016), 1.
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A. Potential Uses of AI ML in Consumer Products To Improve Product 
Safety

    CPSC staff is aware of consumer products with claims of AI 
inclusion. Children's toys, residential appliances, and recreational 
products are being marketed touting the use of AI, ML, and related 
technologies to improve product efficacy and consumer experience. 
Although opportunities exist for manufacturers to improve safety using 
new technologies, hazards may also be associated with the inclusion of 
these technologies.

B. AI, ML, and Related Technologies

    AI, ML, and related technologies have the potential to dramatically 
change the nature of consumer products, with important ramifications 
for CPSC's responsibilities to protect consumers from product hazards. 
In particular, products with AI or ML technologies would be learning 
from the consumer and from the operational environment for the product. 
Customization occurs through the evolution of products after delivery 
to the consumer, resulting in significant ramifications for 
manufacturer's implementation of AI and ML that shape products and 
transform consumer experience. Although adapting to consumer 
preferences has the potential to make significant strides in product 
customization of features and safety enhancements, using data to 
predict and enhance product operation could result in safety hazards.

C. Ramifications of AI and ML in Consumer Products

    Manufacturers may not fully understand the operation of the AI-
enabled products, particularly for those using genetic algorithms and 
other evolutionary AI techniques. Changes to the product after purchase 
may impede CPSC's ability to replicate reported hazards, creating 
challenges for compliance investigations and product safety standards 
development.

D. Relevant Voluntary Standards

    Voluntary standards organizations are developing consensus 
standards related to AI and ML technologies that will likely inform and 
improve safety-related characteristics in consumer products. AI and ML 
standards in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries are 
ongoing, and knowledge from these efforts may be valuable in consumer 
product safety standards development.

II Forum Topics

    The AI forum will discuss existing and proposed voluntary consensus 
standards, certifications, testing methods, product specifications, 
best practices, and similar guidance for AI, ML, and related 
technologies. There is currently considerable interest in exploring a 
variety of areas of AI and ML, including ethics, security, and privacy. 
However, given the CPSC mission, this forum is focused on obtaining 
information specific to

[[Page 77184]]

assisting the agency's safety efforts with consumer products that use 
these technologies. CPSC staff is interested in discussing the best way 
to provide guidance to manufacturers and importers of consumer products 
with AI and ML, to test products for safety that address the following 
considerations:
     Identification:
    [cir] Determine presence of AI and ML in consumer products.
    [ssquf] Does the product have AI and ML components?
     Implications:
    [cir] Differentiate what AI and ML functionality exists.
    [ssquf] What are the AI and ML capabilities?
     Impact:
    [cir] Discern how AI and ML dependencies affect consumers.
    [ssquf] Do AI and ML affect consumer product safety?
     Iteration:
    [cir] Distinguish when AI and ML, evolve and how this 
transformation changes outcomes.
    [ssquf] When do products evolve/transform, and do the evolutions/
transformations affect product safety?

III. Forum Details

A. Forum Time and Place

    CPSC staff will hold the forum from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., EST on 
Tuesday, March 2, 2021, via webinar.

B. Forum Registration

    If you would like to attend the AI Forum, but you do not wish to 
make a presentation or participate on a panel, please register online 
by February 15, 2021. (See the ADDRESSES portion of this document for 
the website link and instructions to register.)
    If you would like to make a presentation at the AI Forum, or you 
wish to be considered as a panel member for a specific topic or topics, 
email an electronic version of your abstract to Nevin Taylor, 
[email protected], by January 4, 2021. Abstracts should be relevant to 
the forum topic and no longer than two pages. Staff will select 
panelists and individuals to make presentations at the AI forum based 
on considerations such as: The submitted abstract information, the 
individual's demonstrated familiarity or expertise with the topic to be 
discussed, the practical utility of the information to be presented, 
and the individual's viewpoint or ability to represent certain 
interests (such as large manufacturers, small manufacturers, consumer 
advocates, and consumers). Staff would like the presentations to 
represent and address a wide variety of stakeholders and interests. 
Staff will notify those who are selected to make a presentation or 
participate in a panel by January 15, 2021, so that you can prepare and 
provide your final presentation by February 12, 2021.
    Although staff will make an effort to accommodate all persons who 
wish to make a presentation, the time allotted for presentations will 
depend on the agenda and the number of persons who wish to speak on a 
given topic. Staff recommends that individuals and organizations with 
common interests consolidate or coordinate their presentations, and 
request time for a joint presentation. If you have any questions 
regarding participating in the forum, contact Nevin Taylor, 
[email protected], 301-509-0264.

Alberta E. Mills,
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2020-26441 Filed 11-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P