U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) have reintroduced the bipartisan Future of AI Innovation Act. The bill is designed to strengthen the United States’ position in developing artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. It emphasizes collaboration between government, business, academia, and civil society to advance AI research.
The legislation gives authority to the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), supporting voluntary standards development and establishing testbeds with national laboratories to drive new advancements in AI. These measures aim to benefit economic growth and national security.
Senator Cantwell said, “This legislation brings together private sector and government experts to develop voluntary standards for AI, create new assessment tools, and conduct testing that will ensure the United States leads in AI-driven innovation and competitiveness for decades to come. The NIST Center for AI Standards and Innovation, testbeds at our national labs, and grand challenge prizes will accelerate new advancements while helping companies and consumers better use AI in a safe and secure manner.”
Senator Young added, “One of my top priorities for federal AI policy is to ensure these technologies are developed in a manner that reflects American values and supports U.S. innovation. I’m glad to introduce the Future of AI Innovation Act to maintain American leadership in the global race to advance AI.”
As international competitors increase their investment in artificial intelligence, U.S. lawmakers see this bill as essential for maintaining technological leadership. The act builds on previous efforts such as the CHIPS and Science Act as well as an earlier version of this bill that established the National AI Advisory Committee (NAIAC). Recommendations from NAIAC reports were used when drafting this legislation.
Key provisions include:
- Authorizing CAISI at NIST to set voluntary guidelines with input from both public agencies and private organizations.
- Creating testbed programs involving NIST, NSF, DOE, and private partners for evaluating security risks of AI systems.
- Launching prize competitions intended to solve priority problems using advanced technology like quantum computing.
- Directing federal agencies to release curated datasets publicly so small businesses can access data needed for innovation.
- Establishing international alliances with allied countries on research collaboration related to global standards.
Paul Lekas from the Software & Information Industry Association commented: “The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) applauds Senators Young and Cantwell for introducing the Future of AI Innovation Act (FAIIA). Ensuring the United States remains a leader in AI requires not only the investment of industry and the engagement of academia, but also the singular convening power of the U.S. government. To ensure the United States remains a global leader in AI, we must empower NIST and its subagency, the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI). NIST is uniquely positioned to develop the guidance and benchmarks necessary for AI development, utilizing specialized expertise to assess national security risks. While NIST’s influence internationally is unmatched, it currently lacks the resourcing of peers like the UK AI Security Institute, which has 10x more staff and 10x more funding. This legislation provides needed authorities for CAISI, which has already broken ground collaborating across industry, civil society, and academia through the NIST AI Consortium, of which SIIA is a proud member. We urge the Senate to move swiftly on this bill and look forward to working with Congress to realize the vision of its sponsors.”
Hodan Omaar from ITIF stated: “We are pleased to see the bipartisan reintroduction of the Future of AI Innovation Act. This legislation remains a critical framework for steering AI toward positive outcomes by fostering groundbreaking research, unlocking public data, and establishing the voluntary standards and safety mechanisms necessary for American leadership in AI. We previously supported this bill for its proactive approach to innovation, and we urge Congress to move swiftly to pass it this session to ensure a transformative and competitive future for AI in the United States."
Brendan Steinhauser from The Alliance for Secure AI said: "American leadership in AI means nothing if the models we develop can't be trusted. The Future of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Act builds the governance architecture to ensure they can be, by codifying federal standards and testing infrastructure, standing up a cross-sector consortium around AI safety best practices, strengthening research security, creating international alliances around AI standards and R&D, and drawing a clear line against influence by foreign adversaries. We urge Congress to pass this bill and follow it up with legislation that addresses AI's full impact on American workers and families."
Brad Carson from Americans for Responsible Innovation noted: “The Future of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Act strengthens the partnerships needed to power American innovation and will help ensure the United States remains at the forefront of the global AI race. By deepening collaboration among government,
industry,
academia,
and civil society—and supporting
NIST-led standards
and national lab testbeds—the bill creates
the conditions
for breakthrough
AI research
and sustained U.S.
leadership.”
Austin Carson from SeedAI commented: "The Future of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Act recognizes a critical fact: the foundation of American AI leadership is institutional,
not just industrial.
Authorizing the Center for Artificial Intelligence Standards and Innovation at NIST,
standing up joint testbeds across NIST,
NSF,
and Department of Energy with private sector partners,
and launching grand challenges
for AI in science
and advanced manufacturing — this is the kind of connective tissue between government,
industry,
and research community that we need,
and it will compound over decades.
We commend Senators Young
and Cantwell
for their continued leadership on this bill
and look forward
to seeing it across finish line"
Samuel Hammond from Foundation for American Innovation added: "The Future of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Act (FAIIA) gets federal role in AI policy exactly right.
Authorizing Center for AI Standards & Innovation (CAISI)
is key to maintaining US' leadership in Artificial Intelligence.
As federal government's core in-house capacity for measuring & evaluating frontier AI systems,
CAISI serves as both catalyst for driving adoption of new tools/applications &
beacon exporting US standards globally.
Importantly FAIIA aligns CAISI/other agency missions White House's Action Plan/Genesis Mission—incl through new test beds Nat Labs/Grand Challenges spur private sector innovation/creation public datasets democratize discovery.
While policy often debated FAIIA underscores many critical areas consensus."
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