Sens. Portman, Heinrich introduce AI bills

Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced this week two pieces of legislation designed to bolster the government’s artificial intelligence (AI) readiness and long-term investments support in ethics and safety research.

The Artificial Intelligence Capabilities and Transparency (AICT) Act would implement recommendations of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’s (NSCAI) final report.

The Artificial Intelligence for the Military (AIM) Act would operationalize additional recommendations made by the NSCAI relating to the military’s technology workforce.

“When Congress created the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, it was with the expectation that the Commission provide Congress with the ideas to keep the United States as the world’s AI leader,” Portman said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass these bills so that we can continue to implement the good ideas that the Commission has spent so long developing.”

Portman said military personnel are skilled in emerging technology are common sense priorities ensuring AI is trustworthy and transparent.

“Artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and challenges for our nation’s security, and we need to be prepared for both,” Heinrich said. “Senator Portman and I have worked together to pass several bipartisan solutions that put into place the right policy and people in these emerging technologies. Now, it’s time to build off of that momentum and strengthen the federal government’s AI capabilities while also increasing the public’s trust in this technology.”