Coalition of Over 60 Companies, Non-Profits Call on Congress to Formalize AISI
Today, a coalition of over 60 companies, non-profits, and universities called on Congress to enact legislation authorizing the U.S. AI Safety Institute before the end of the year. The letter, led by Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), included a broad coalition ranging from tech industry giants to leaders in the movement for AI safeguards. The coalition’s message to Congress highlights the imperative for the U.S. to continue responsible AI efforts at NIST as other countries establish their own AI safety institutes.
“For the U.S. to lead on the responsible development of AI, our government has to lead on the development of voluntary standards and testing that underpin AI safety and resiliency,” said ARI President Brad Carson. “The U.S. AI Safety Institute is spearheading that effort, and authorizing their work under NIST is an easy, bipartisan step forward Congress can take right now. After all the footwork this Congress has done to educate members on AI issues, this is the single most important AI policy lawmakers can pass before the end of the year.”
“As other governments quickly move ahead, Members of Congress can ensure that the U.S. does not get left behind in the global AI race by permanently authorizing the AI Safety Institute and providing certainty for its critical role in advancing U.S. AI innovation and adoption,” said ITI President and CEO Jason Oxman. “We urge Congress to heed today’s call to action from industry, civil society, and academia to pass necessary bipartisan legislation before the end of the year.”
The Senate Commerce Committee and House Science Committee have each advanced bipartisan bills to authorize the activities of the U.S. AI Safety Institute: S. 4178, the Future of AI Innovation Act, and H.R. 9497, the AI Advancement and Reliability Act. Both the House and Senate have undertaken significant efforts on AI this Congress, including the all-Senator AI Insight Forums convened by the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group and the creation of the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.
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Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy advocacy in the public interest, focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more at responsibleinnovation.org.