U.S. Senate could consider 8 AI bills next session

U.S. policymakers have yet to pass comprehensive AI legislation through Congress. However, they'll soon face more opportunities due to several AI bills that have found their way to the Senate floor.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation advanced eight AI-related bills at the end of July 2024 that focus on increasing the transparency and safety of AI systems, as well as targeting AI deepfakes or false images, audio and videos generated by AI. Since generative AI exploded onto the scene with OpenAI's ChatGPT launch in late 2022, regulating AI has become a prominent topic in both Congress and different U.S. states. This week, California lawmakers advanced SB 1047, a significant bill that would implement safety testing requirements for AI models should Gov. Gavin Newsom sign the bill into law.

Most of the bills before U.S. Senate policymakers focus on innovation, research and safety. However, only one -- the AI Research, Innovation and Accountability Act -- includes penalties for companies that don't comply.

"Voluntary guidance and standards can be helpful to support companies' efforts in developing safer, responsible and trustworthy AI," said Forrester Research analyst Enza Iannopollo. "But, without binding requirements, it's unlikely that we will see real impact."

Still, Hodan Omaar, a senior policy manager at the Center for Data Innovation, applauded the senate bills' focus on promoting research and innovation. 

"I'm quite bolstered by some of the bills that we're seeing," she said. "I think we definitely do need more resources."

Below are the AI bills senate policymakers will be considering after Congress returns from summer recess.

AI Research, Innovation and Accountability Act

• This bill seeks to implement a framework for AI innovation and accountability, including development of data provenance and authenticity standards for online content generated by both human authors and AI systems. It also includes disclosure and transparency requirements for companies using AI to make decisions regarding housing, employment, insurance or credit that poses a significant impact to individuals. The bill includes enforcement language so that if covered entities fail to comply with the bill's requirements, they could face financial penalties.

Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy AI Act

• The director of NIST would be tasked with creating voluntary guidelines for internal and external assurances of AI systems through testing and evaluation based on use cases and intended applications of the model.

Future of AI Innovation Act

• This bill would utilize the U.S. AI Safety Institute, housed within NIST and established as a result of President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI issued in 2023, to help federal agencies work alongside the private sector to establish voluntary AI standards and model evaluation tools to support AI research and development.

National Science Foundation AI Education Act

• This bill enables the NSF to award scholarships to boost education in AI.

Creating Resources for Every American to Experiment with AI Act

• This bill aims to officially establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), which is currently a pilot project led by the NSF to create a national research infrastructure for responsible AI innovation. It would expand access to data and computational resources for AI model training, something the bill points out large technology companies typically only have access to.

Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted AI Act

• This bill supports improving NIST's establishment of testbeds, which are used to develop and evaluate trustworthy AI systems, and it seeks to improve interagency coordination in developing those testbeds.

Small Business AI Training Act

• This bill would require U.S. Sec. of Commerce Gina Raimondo to develop AI training toolkits and resources for small businesses.

Artificial Intelligence Public Awareness and Education Campaign Act

• This bill charges Raimondo and the U.S. Dept. of Commerce with conducting a widespread campaign to boost the public's awareness of the benefits, risks and prevalence of AI systems in U.S. citizens' daily lives.

Makenzie Holland is a senior news writer covering big tech and federal regulation. Prior to joining TechTarget Editorial, she was a general assignment reporter for the Wilmington StarNews and a crime and education reporter at the Wabash Plain Dealer.