Hodan Omaar
Hodan Omaar is a senior policy manager focusing on AI policy at ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation. Previously, she worked as a senior consultant on technology and risk management in London and as a crypto-economist in Berlin. She has an M.A. in economics and mathematics from the University of Edinburgh.
Research Areas
Recent Publications
OMB Should Help Create Standard Contractual Terms to Streamline the U.S. Government Procuring AI
As the Biden administration seeks to increase the responsible use of AI in the federal government, it will need to find ways to streamline contracting for AI services, especially for startups not familiar with all the red tape associated with government procurement. One step the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should take is developing voluntary standard terms for AI contracts to make procurement more efficient and expand federal contract access to a diverse and large pool of vendors, ensuring agencies can access the best systems.
Picking the Right Policy Solutions for AI Concerns
Some concerns are legitimate, but others are not. Some require immediate regulatory responses, but many do not. And a few require regulations addressing AI specifically, but most do not.
Comments to the Competition Bureau Canada Regarding AI and Competition
The artificial intelligence market in Canada is still in its early stages but is growing rapidly and becoming increasingly competitive. At this juncture, there is no clear evidence of market failure, substantial barriers to entry, or exclusionary practices that would necessitate intervention.
Comments to OMB on Responsible AI Procurement
OMB should support the development of voluntary standard terms for AI contracts to make procurement more efficient and expand access to federal contracts to as diverse and large a pool of vendors as possible so federal agencies can access the best systems.
Letter in Support of the “The Future of AI Innovation Act”
This legislation lays out a proactive agenda to foster responsible AI development and deployment in the United States.
Congress Should Fund the Creation of a Similarity Checker for Music
A landmark ruling in 2015 made it harder for artists and record labels to determine where permissible influence and interpolation become impermissible appropriation and plagiarism. Congress should make things more consistent, accurate, and fair by directing the Copyright Office to launch a competition for the private sector to come up with an AI-enabled tool to compare how similar a musical composition or recording is to existing copyright-protected works.
California’s Bill to Regulate Frontier AI Models Undercuts More Sensible Federal Efforts
California's new AI bill stands to seriously hinder the development of state-of-the-art systems in the state, where much of the frontier AI development in the U.S. is taking place. And since California often sets the tone for action in other states, this bill risks setting a precedent for a fragmented regulatory landscape for AI safety across the country.
Statement to the US Senate AI Insight Forum on “Risk, Alignment, and Guarding Against Doomsday Scenarios”
Cloaking narratives about existential risks of AI in apocalyptic religious language only serves to prevent good-faith efforts to address potential risk scenarios.
The AIRIA Bill Would Force the Commerce Department to Bite Off More Than It Can Chew
While the Artificial Intelligence Research, Innovation, and Accountability (AIRIA) Act strikes the balance between innovation and accountability better than other AI policy proposals, it puts the horse before the cart, requiring the Commerce Department to come up with technical solutions to complex, nontechnical problems that haven’t been fully defined yet.
Jumping on the Bletchley Declaration’s Existential AI Risk Bandwagon Hurts the US and AI
The decision by so many governments, especially the United States, to legitimize the belief that AI presents an existential risk that governments must address will seriously undermine efforts to rapidly develop and adopt the technology for beneficial purposes.
The U.S. Approach to Quantum Policy
In the nearly 25 years since NSF held the U.S. government’s first workshop on the topic, it has become increasingly apparent that quantum information science has the potential to drive major advances in computing power, secure communication, and scientific discovery. So, the government has rightly recognized it needs to play an active role in ensuring the nation remains competitive in this critical field.
Comments to the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security on “The Need for Transparency in AI”
The biggest risk to consumers is that the myriad opportunities AI offers will not be translated into all the areas where they can make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Recent Events and Presentations
How Can Policymakers Address AI Voice-Cloning Scams?
Watch now for a panel discussion exploring how threats from AI voice cloning are likely to develop, what countermeasures exist, and actionable steps policymakers can take to address both national and international threats.
AI and Creativity at the 20th Annual State of the Net
Hodan Omaar speaks at the 2024 State of the Net Conference on a panel about artificial intelligence and creativity in the arts.
FP Tech Forum @ UNGA78
Hodan Omaar speaks at Foreign Policy's FP Tech Forum during the 78th annual UN General Assembly. She joins an expert panel to explore how technologies are shaping geopolitics and development around the world.
Artificial Intelligence & Innovation: AI Use Cases Across Sectors
Gillian Diebold and Hodan Omaar speak about artificial intelligence and how it will impact different sectors of society at a webinar hosted by the Internet Law & Policy Foundry.
What Should Congress Include in The Next National Quantum Initiative Act?
Watch the panel discussion on what the NQIA got right, where there is room for improvement, and what policymakers should do next.
Where Should US AI Policy Be Headed Next?
Watch ITIF's Center for Data Innovation's panel discussion on the impact and efficacy of AI policy to date. Experts will debate on how policymakers can best nurture the capabilities and activities of the U.S. AI ecosystem moving forward.
Government Perspective: Deepfakes and Restoring Trust Online
Hodan Omaar speaks at Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center's event emphasizing the importance that policymakers ensure to internationalize efforts to mitigate harm from deepfakes and disinformation as malign information campaigns are increasingly targeting non-English speakers and immigrant communities.
Should the EU Regulate General-Purpose AI Systems?
Watch the Center for Data Innovation's discussion on the proposed amendments to the EU’s AI Act for general-purpose systems and its implications for AI development, innovation, and deployment in the EU and beyond.
Democracy Affirming Technology: Restoring Trust Online
Hodan Omaar presented at the "Democracy Affirming Technology: Restoring Trust Online" event, which identified and discussed solutions for some of the problems surrounding disinformation online, including the threat of deepfake information campaigns to national security and democratic values.
How Can the EU Encourage the Private Sector to Share Mobility Data for Social Good?
ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation held a panel discussion on how policymakers can maximize social good by encouraging the reuse of aggregated, anonymized, private-sector mobility data while protecting individual users’ privacy.
Book Talk on “Human-Centered AI” With Ben Shneiderman
Watch ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation for a conversation with Ben Shneiderman, whose new book calls for a “human-centered” perspective on AI, as opposed to a “technology-centered” focus, so as to better serve human needs.
How Can U.S. Policymakers Support the Development of Quantum Computing?
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation hosted a discussion about a new report exploring steps Congress and federal agencies can take to support quantum computing in the United States.