Today, ARI is releasing two new policy memos for the Trump administration and the 119th Congress as they develop their AI policy priorities. Implementing the memos’ primary recommendations – fulfilling NIST’s budget request and establishing an AI incident reporting system – would put the U.S. government in a stronger position to understand advanced AI and lead in shaping its development.
The first memo, concerning the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), recommends that Congress fully fund NIST’s FY 2025 budget request of $47.7 million for its work on AI research, standards, and testing. NIST plays a central role in developing techniques to test advanced AI, evaluating models at the frontier of development, and facilitating the development of industry AI standards. But the agency also suffers from chronic underfunding. threatens to undermine U.S. leadership in AI development and adoption at a time of intense global competition. As the 119th Congress negotiates a final appropriations bill for the current fiscal year, it should prioritize American AI leadership by fully funding NIST’s request.
The second memo argues that Congress should mandate and support the development of a government-supported voluntary AI Incident Reporting Hub (AIIRH) to record and analyze AI harms including illegal discrimination, model theft, and dangerous capabilities. The AIIRH would allow developers, researchers, and whistleblowers to confidentially share critical data on AI incidents, helping policymakers track emerging risks and developers improve best practices. Giving the AIIRH a statutory mandate and federal funding would instill confidence in its longevity and bolster adoption thanks to strict government security standards. Congress should establish this database to better position the U.S. government and developers to understand and address AI-related harms as this technology rapidly evolves.