Draft:Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Analytics User Group

Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Analytics User Group (AIDAUG) is a not-for-profit association that aims to educate and engage its members, and to develop thought leadership and best practices around the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics..

History
AIDAUG was founded in 2021 by a group of data analytics experts and associates from within the IBM Champions community.

Background
Major advances in Artificial Intelligence technology such as ChatGPT, Bard and Watsonx, have generated consumer-driven demand for the practical application of a rapidly evolving set of technologies, as well as implementation guidance. The groundswell of interest served to catalyze discussions around preparing for the inevitable mainstream adoption of AI from related intersecting domains, including data governance, cloud platform engineering, and even ethics.

AIDAUG was created in response to this market-driven momentum, in part to link practitioners and perspectives from these correlated technology practice areas, with the general objective of guiding the multidisciplinary development of standards, guidelines and best practices around AI and data analytics.

While the group itself is a self-managed association not directly affiliated with or funded by IBM, several of the original founding members of AIDAUG had deep expertise with IBM Cognos Analytics and related technologies, and structured the association in conformance with the unofficial IBM template for user group governance.

Notable Projects
AIDAUG oversees the development of the Open Data Contract Standard (ODCS). The ODCS proposes a mechanism to encode data governance rules and other facets of an operational exchange between data producers and consumers.

Mission and Purpose
As stated on the group's website and other literature, their mission is to "share knowledge, connect people, and provide guidance through this next era of computing while embracing peace and the highest levels of ethics"

AIDAUG enumerates its purpose as follows:


 * 1) To promote education and exchange of information concerning data, analytics, and artificial intelligence within the meaning of Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
 * 2) To establish channels for the education and communication of information to and from members in the field of artificial intelligence, data, and analytics.
 * 3) To conduct conferences, meetings, discussion groups, forums, panels, lectures, and other programs concerned with developing and exchanging information among members.
 * 4) To encourage and strengthen the participation of all qualified members.
 * 5) To promote the acceptance of artificial intelligence and other best data practices.
 * 6) To encourage the development of products embedding and using artificial intelligence, data, and analytics.
 * 7) To provide a forum for the promotion of excellence in information processing by recognizing those individuals who, judged by their peers, put forth the highest effort and ethical standards and succeed in best-utilizing data, analytics, and artificial intelligence within their organizations.
 * 8) To provide a safe and unbiased way of discussing the ethical ramifications of the use of artificial intelligence, data, and analytics across a broad range of industries and humanity.