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As NIST funding challenges persist, Schumer announces $10 million for its AI Safety Institute

Mar 07, 2024 - venturebeat.com
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that the National Institute Of Standards and Technology (NIST) will receive up to $10 million to establish the US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (USAISI). The funding is included in the recently-released Commerce, Justice, and Science Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bill. Schumer described the funding as a "strong down payment" on the implementation of President Biden's Executive Order on AI, which tasks NIST with evaluating and auditing AI technologies and developing guidelines for safe, secure, and trustworthy systems.

However, NIST has faced criticism for a lack of transparency around the USAISI and for its underfunding. In December, lawmakers from the House Science Committee expressed concern over a planned AI research partnership between NIST and the RAND Corporation. Rumman Chowdhury, former head of Twitter's Machine Learning Ethics, Transparency and Accountability team, also highlighted that the USAISI was an unfunded mandate under the executive order.

Key takeaways:

  • The US Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, announced that the National Institute Of Standards and Technology (NIST) will receive up to $10 million to establish the US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (USAISI).
  • The USAISI was established in November 2023 to support the responsibilities assigned to the Department of Commerce under the AI Executive Order.
  • The recently-released Commerce, Justice, and Science Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bill includes up to $10 million for the establishment of the USAISI at NIST.
  • There has been criticism about NIST’s lack of transparency around the USAISI, with concerns raised about a planned AI research partnership between NIST and the RAND Corporation.
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