Harris Vows to Continue Biden AI Executive Order: A policy document released on September 25 by the Harris-Walz campaign stated that the Vice President intends to “continue the commitments set forth in the 2023 AI Executive Order to strengthen innovation and competitiveness, protect workers and consumers as technology advances, and develop a skilled federal AI workforce.” The document also stated that a Harris-Walz Administration would scale up and make permanent the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), which was launched as a pilot under Biden’s AI EO and is designed to give startups and researchers access to advanced computing power.
Schumer eyes AI package in lame duck: At a press conference on September 24, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he expects the chamber will have “a nice robust AI package at the end of the year.” Schumer noted that the Commerce, Armed Services, and Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs committees have already passed several AI-related bills this Congress. While light on details, a package could serve as fodder for provisions to include in must-pass end of year legislation such as an appropriations package or the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), as well as signal priorities for the Senate going into next Congress if Democrats maintain the majority. Schumer’s full remarks can be found here.
Two AI bills pass out of House Science Committee: On September 25, two more bipartisan bills focused on AI passed through the House Science Committee. The bills – H.R. 9671 the Department of Energy Artificial Intelligence Act and H.R. 9720 the AI Incident Reporting and Security Enhancement Act – would provide guidance for and investment in Department of Energy (DOE) artificial intelligence research and development activities and direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to study the need for voluntary reporting related to artificial intelligence security and safety incidents, respectively. With these two new bills, the House Science Committee has approved a total of eleven bills related to AI in September, all with bipartisan support.
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