WASHINGTON – September 9, 2020 – In a letter sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees today, BSA | The Software Alliance led a cross-sector group of associations including the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), TechNet, and the US Chamber Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC) in urging Congress to include key AI priorities in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (FY21 NDAA). The letter emphasizes provisions to strengthen federal investments in AI research and development, facilitate new public-private partnerships to accelerate the development of cutting-edge AI, and provide for enhanced coordination within the federal government on AI issues.

One critical priority the letter highlights is the need for a NIST AI Risk Management Framework, noting that “an AI framework can serve as a helpful resource for organizations as they evaluate their own uses of AI and seek to identify the range of standards, best practices, governance approaches, and technical safeguards that can be implemented through a system’s lifecycle to mitigate potential risks.”

In addition to the development of a NIST AI framework, the groups also urged Congress to authorize programs at the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to advance AI research and development and support the development of industry-led, voluntary consensus-based standards. The groups urged that “any programs that are established should be authorized for at least five fiscal years to provide certainty for stakeholders and demonstrate the United States’ commitment internationally to be a leader in AI through research and development.”

Copies of the letters sent to Chairmen James Inhofe and Adam Smith and Ranking Members Jack Reed and Mac Thornberry can be found here: https://www.bsa.org/policy-filings/us-fy21-ndaa-multi-association-letters-on-ai-provisions