By Sen. Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON D.C. — In an April 29 press release, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Founder and Co-Chair of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, and Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., introduced the CREATE A.I. Act, legislation to establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource as shared national research infrastructure that provides A.I. researchers and students with greater access to the resources, data, and tools needed to develop safe and trustworthy A.I.
“The CREATE AI Act will help us develop and deploy A.I. responsibly, while also unleashing American innovation by expanding access to the tools needed to conduct cutting-edge research,” Heinrich said. “But as we push this technology forward, we must also take seriously our responsibility to rein in its potential harms — putting the right safeguards in place to ensure A.I. is used safely, ethically, and in the public interest. By truly democratizing access to AI, we can prepare American workers for the future, maintain our nation’s competitive edge, and ensure these rapid advancements strengthen our economy and benefit communities in New Mexico and across the country.”
The CREATE AI Act establishes the NAIRR, which has four primary goals:
Spur innovation and advance the development of safe, reliable, and trustworthy A.I. research and development
Improve access to A.I. resources for researchers and students, including groups typically underrepresented in STEM
Improve capacity for A.I. research in the U.S.
Support the testing, benchmarking, and evaluation of A.I. systems developed and deployed in the U.S.
The NAIRR will offer the following to researchers, educators, and students at higher education institutions, non-profits, and federally funded agencies:
Computational resources, including an open-source software environment and a programming interface providing structured access to A.I. models
Data, including curated datasets of user interest and an A.I. data commons
Educational tools and services, including educational materials, technical training, and user support
A.I. testbeds, including a catalog of open A.I. testbeds and a collaborative project with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., Chair of the House A.I. Caucus, introduced the House companion bill, along with Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif.
The legislation is supported by AI Policy Network, Information Technology Industry Council, Cognizant, SeedAI, Business Software Alliance, and Indiana University.
