Hodan Omaar
Hodan Omaar is a senior analyst 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 MA in economics and mathematics from the University of Edinburgh.
Research Areas:
Recent Publications
How the EU Can Unlock the Private Sector’s Human-Mobility Data for Social Good
Private firms face a number of challenges that limit their willingness and ability to share mobility data. The government’s role should be to coordinate the behavior of individuals, companies, and researchers toward social good.
Comments to OSTP on Biometric Technologies and Identity Verification, Individual Identification, and Inference of Attributes
Responding to an RFI on the use of biometric technologies, ITIF argued the government can help address and mitigate risks through independent public testing; performance standards; and more diverse training and evaluation datasets.
Creating an AI Bill of Rights Is a Distraction
Comments to DOE on Providing Access to Quantum Systems
DOE should prioritize creating a national quantum computing research cloud that provides academic researchers with affordable access to high-end quantum computing infrastructure.
Comments to OSTP and NSF on a National AI Research Resource (NAIRR)
If successful, the NAIRR would serve to bolster innovation and U.S. competitiveness in AI. We support the goals of the Task Force and offer several comments to inform the work of the Task Force.
Principles to Promote Responsible Use of AI for Workforce Decisions
Given the transformative potential of AI for workforce decisions, policy should tilt toward enabling transformation with this technology.
New York City Is Sacrificing Residential Safety for Unwarranted Privacy Concerns
The Tenant Data Privacy Act would require all owners of residential buildings that use digital technologies to provision access to residents, such as through electronic key fobs or biometric door locks, to obtain informed consent through writing or a mobile app. Additionally, building owners would need to provide a “plain language” privacy policy to tenants that details the data their smart access system collects, the third parties they share the data with, how they will securely store the data, and how long they will retain data for.
Why the United States Needs to Support Near-Term Quantum Computing Applications
As other nations rapidly scale up their investments to develop and use quantum computing, U.S. policymakers should ensure the United States remains a leader. Investing in near-term applications would bolster the development of longer-term use cases, thereby helping to cement U.S. economic competitiveness and protect national security.
Three Ways Biden Can Use Open Data to Deliver on His Ambitious Agenda
To advance the president’s ambitious agenda, the administration should develop and share U.S. genome data, require law enforcement agencies to share data, and create a publicly available national evictions database.
How Congress and the Biden Administration Could Jumpstart Smart Cities With AI
AI promises to help cities save money, address infrastructure needs, and reduce emissions. But to unlock these benefits and help smart cities reach their full potential, the federal government has an important role to play in funding RD&D and facilitating cooperation.
How the United States Can Increase Access to Supercomputing
The United States has an imbalanced portfolio of high-performance computing resources that is failing to meet growing demand among artificial intelligence researchers. To fill the gaps, Congress should authorize at least $10 billion over the next five years for the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.
Three Lessons Biden Administration Should Take From DoD’s Data Strategy
The Pentagon’s data strategy, released in September, offers a model for building a data-centric organization with both a grounded foundation to support transformational change and a context-specific framework that brings the strategy to life.
Recent Events and Presentations
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.
How to Deepen Transatlantic Cooperation in AI for Defense
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation hosted a video webinar to discuss the transatlantic opportunities and challenges to promoting better cooperation in military use of AI.
Book Talk on “Data Feminism” With Lauren Klein
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation hosted a conversation with Lauren Klein on her new book Data Feminism, co-authored with Catherine D’Ignazio.
How the Federal Government Can Increase Access to Supercomputing Across America
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation hosted a discussion on a new report exploring what steps Congress, the NSF, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) should take to increase access to HPC resources for AI researchers in the United States.
How Will Quantum Computing Shape the Future of AI?
ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation hosted a discussion about the impact quantum computing will have on AI, the current state of the field and near-term challenges, and the role that policy can play in accelerating this paradigm shift in computing and AI.
Digitalization: Driving Energy Efficiency for a Connected Future
ITIF hosted a discussion with industry leaders on the role of digitalization in driving energy efficiency gains across the economy, and the release of a new ITIF report assessing the concerns—some legitimate and most not—regarding the energy and environmental impacts of the tech sector.
Can Algorithms Tackle the ‘Infodemic’?
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation hosted a discussion about the efficacy of using algorithms to moderate content, the role algorithms can play in addressing the infodemic, and the ways policymakers can support innovation in automated content moderation.
Does the United States Need a “Digital Dollar”?
ITIF's Center for Data Innovation hosted a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of establishing a digital currency in the United States.