Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
TechNet is endorsing seven AI bills it hopes to see pass Congress, the tech lobbying group tells Axios exclusively.
Why it matters: Advancing bipartisan AI legislation is proving difficult, but having tech industry support could give lawmakers an extra boost to get some bills done by the end of this Congress.
The seven bills are:
- The CREATE AI Act, which would authorize the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource.
- The AI Grand Challenges Act, which would establish a program to award prizes for AI research.
- The AI Public Awareness and Education Campaign Act, which would direct the Commerce secretary to stand up an AI education campaign for Americans.
- The Technology Workforce Framework Act, to require NIST to develop a an AI workforce framework.
- The EPIC Act, to establish a foundation to support NIST by
providing access to private and non-profit funding. - The TAKE IT DOWN Act, which would require social media sites to remove nonconsensual intimate imagery — including deepfakes — within 48 hours of receiving notice.
- The NSF AI Education Act, to support the agency's education and professional development programs.
What they're saying: "TechNet is endorsing these bipartisan proposals to support the next generation of AI entrepreneurs, bolster our workforce, strengthen AI research, support NIST, and help prevent misuse and deepfakes," said CEO Linda Moore.
- Moore added that TechNet is monitoring over 130 AI-related bills in Congress.
Between the lines: These bills are largely non-controversial, focusing on things like research, combating deepfakes, prepping the workforce for AI and educating the public.
- Proposals that would specifically dictate how companies can train their AI algorithms or report back to the government aren't yet picking up steam.
