On July 31, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed a number of AI-related bills, including the CREATE AI Act of 2023; TEST AI Act of 2023; Artificial Intelligence Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act of 2023; Future of Artificial Intelligence Education Act of 2024; and the Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (VET AI) Act. However, with a limited number of days in session before the end of the year, the bills’ fate remains unclear. Additionally, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) stated that he would oppose approval of the bills unless they were amended before going to the floor, arguing that the current drafts constitute regulatory overreach. You can find a full summary of the markup of these bills here.
The New York Times reported that presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has had a considerable role on AI policy throughout the Biden Administration, including certain components of its AI executive order and convening companies who voluntarily agreed to certain safety standards. According to the Times, Vice President Harris has continually emphasized the need to protect people and democracy against the potential harms of AI. The Times reporting paints a stark contrast with former President Donald Trump who has pledged to repeal President Biden’s AI Executive Order if elected. Among his concerns are that it would enter the U.S. into international agreements that favor European-style regulation and would further create safety standards and reporting requirements for emerging technologies that would over-regulate private enterprises.
On July 26, the White House announced that the Administration has successfully fulfilled all of the 270-day actions from President Biden’s AI Executive Order on schedule. Along with the announcement, The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released new guidance and tools to enhance the safety, security, and trustworthiness of AI systems. This guidance includes recommendations to help developers mitigate risks, a software package to test AI system vulnerabilities, as well as updates on patent eligibility to support innovation in AI and emerging technologies.
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