WASHINGTON – June 1, 2020 – In a letter sent to Congress today, BSA | The Software Alliance joined the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the Information Technology Information Council (ITI), and the US Chamber Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC) in urging Congress to include report language in the FY 21 CJS Appropriations Act that directs the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to begin developing an AI risk management framework.

In the letter, the groups stated that the development of a NIST AI Risk Management Framework would reaffirm US leadership in the development of trustworthy and accountable AI. The letter notes “because the risks to the trustworthiness of AI are wide ranging and application-specific, there are no one-size-fits-all technical or policy solutions. Instead, experts agree that a risk management approach that extends throughout an AI system’s lifecycle is necessary. Given its considerable experience developing lifecycle risk management frameworks for cybersecurity and privacy, NIST should play a leading role in the development of a similar framework for AI.”

In addition to serving as a resource for organizations that are developing and deploying AI systems, the letter argues that a NIST AI Risk Management Framework would “help shape the global debate around AI governance” by providing a conceptual foundation that will inform the development of international policies. The groups suggest that the development of an AI Risk Management Framework would be pro-innovation, supportive of US leadership, consistent with NIST’s ongoing engagement in AI standards development, and aligned with US support for the OECD AI principles.

A link to the letter sent to Chairman José Serrano and Ranking Member Robert Aderholt can be found here: https://www.bsa.org/policy-filings/us-multi-association-request-for-a-nist-ai-framework