House Lawmakers Call for Mandatory Adoption of NIST AI Framework

Three House Democrats have urged the Office of Management and Budget to require federal agencies and vendors to adopt the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI Risk Management Framework.

Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Ted Lieu and Haley Stevens made the call in a letter sent to the OMB.

The framework, released in January, was created to improve the trustworthiness of AI-powered products, services and systems. It also serves as guidance to ensure the responsible development and use of AI technologies. Currently, the AI RMF is intended for voluntary use, FedScoop reported.

The lawmakers said the framework will provide a “great starting point” for AI risk analysis and systems development processes and ensure agencies and vendors meet baseline standards in mitigating risk.

Republicans also support the mandatory use of the framework within federal agencies, particularly in designing AI technologies. A House Science, Space and Technology committee aide revealed that Republicans are drafting legislation on the AI RMF adoption.