WASHINGTON – July 22, 2020 – BSA | The Software Alliance commends the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for today’s markup of two important pieces of AI legislation. The FUTURE of Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (S. 3771) and the Advancing Artificial Intelligence Research Act of 2020 (S. 3891) each seek to advance US leadership in AI by investing in efforts to better understand how the technology can be developed in ways that enhance public trust and confidence. BSA applauds the sponsors of the FUTURE Act, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Todd Young (R-IN), and Edward Markey (D-MA); as well as the sponsors behind the Advancing Artificial Intelligence Research Act, Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Roger Wicker (R-MS), for their leadership on this key issue.

“Today’s markup of the FUTURE of Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 and the Advancing Artificial Intelligence Research Act of 2020 is an important achievement for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Both bills recognize that unleashing the full economic potential of AI will require careful examination of the potential unintended impacts of the technology to ensure that it is being developed in a thoughtful and responsible manner," said Christian Troncoso, Senior Director, Policy at BSA | The Software Alliance. "Today’s committee action is yet another indication of the growing bipartisan, bicameral recognition of the important role NIST can play in bringing stakeholders together to develop an AI risk management framework to address concerns that could undermine the public’s trust in AI. We look forward to working with Congress, committee leadership, and interested members to ensure that these provisions lay the groundwork for a truly robust and meaningful framework.”