WASHINGTON – Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) introduced the “Ensuring Safe and Ethical AI Development Through Safe AI Research Grants Act” which will direct the National Academy of Sciences to establish a grant program to encourage the development of safe AI models and safe AI research. It also directs the National Academy of Sciences to work with industry, government, academia, and other key stakeholders to develop a set of guiding principles and ethical considerations which will be made available to the public and will be used to inform implementation of the grant program. 

“Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence hold the promise of untold benefits to society, but also present unknown risks. Understanding those risks and taking measures to mitigate them is a task of the highest importance and urgency. This bipartisan legislation will provide needed federal support for cutting-edge AI safety research,” said Rep. Kiley.

Key provisions:

• The Ensuring Safe and Ethical AI Development Through SAFE AI Research Grants Act establishes a new federal grant program to fund research on safe AI models.
• The legislation tasks the Director of the National Academy of Sciences, with input from the public and industry leaders, to develop ethical guidelines on what qualifies as safe AI research.
• One year after enactment, the Director of the National Academy of Sciences will submit a report to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation regarding the proposed safety guidelines, the methods used to determine these guidelines, and propose a budget for this new grant program.
• The report to the Congressional Committees will include a discussion and evaluation of the structure and operation of existing AI models, the degree to which these models incorporate safe AI into their operation, and the methodology used to assess benefits and risk to society.  
• Information on how grant recipients will be selected and whether or not recipients have a history of meeting research expectations will also be reported to these committees.

Click here to view the text of the bill.

BACKGROUND: The development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) have accelerated rapidly through all sectors of society opening the door to untold benefits and innovation. With this great potential, however, comes unknown risk. Research into the safety and risk reduction specific to AI use and development is urgently needed.

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