Bipartisan AI Advancement Legislation Enacted Together With FY 2022 NDAA

Republican Sen. Rob Portman announced that legislation he co-introduced with Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen to support the development of artificial intelligence in the country was signed into law as part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.

The bipartisan Advancing American AI Innovation Act creates a pilot program under the Department of Defense that establishes AI data libraries, ensuring that private companies have access to accurate data to better meet national security needs, Portman said Wednesday.

In a statement, the Ohio lawmaker said the U.S. cannot continue to take its AI leadership for granted, adding that the public and private sectors must synchronize their efforts to develop America’s AI capabilities across the transportation, health care, manufacturing and national security policy spaces.

For her part, Rosen said the new law will enable small businesses to develop artificial intelligence software and technology in partnership with the DOD. The Nevada lawmaker added that the data libraries that will arise from the legislation can provide companies with tools and information to better develop AI software and technology in line with the needs of the Pentagon.

Portman added that the newly enacted law was based on a recommendation from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The NSCAI earlier noted that many highly skilled technologists working in government are regularly denied access to software engineering tools.

The Commission said that the government’s digital workforce needs access to enterprise-level software capabilities on par with those found in the private sector. The needed capabilities include software engineering tools, access to software libraries, vetted open-source support, curated data sets, and infrastructure for large-scale collaboration, the AI oversight body added.