Reliable Artificial Intelligence Research Act Introduced to Congress
A new bill has been drafted in the US to increase the security of artificial intelligence systems and prevent malicious uses.
Representative August Pfluger introduced the Reliable Artificial Intelligence Research Act to strengthen national security and prevent the abuse of artificial intelligence systems.
Purpose and Scope of the Act
The Reliable Artificial Intelligence Research Act, introduced by August Pfluger, aims to prevent malicious actors from exploiting artificial intelligence and to enhance America's national security. This regulation stands out as the first-of-its-kind bill to organize federally funded research competitions to strengthen artificial intelligence defenses and uncover how systems make their decisions.
Statements by August Pfluger
Bill sponsor August Pfluger stated that artificial intelligence is becoming more deeply integrated into the economy and national defense, emphasizing that systems cannot be left vulnerable. Stating that adversaries are seeking ways to manipulate these systems, Pfluger noted that they aim to make artificial intelligence more transparent, predictable, and resilient against attacks by mobilizing American ingenuity.
National Competitions and Funding Support
The bill envisions the establishment of two national competitions, to be run by the Department of Homeland Security, that will reward advanced research in the two core areas of artificial intelligence security: interpretability and adversarial robustness. Planned to be invested with 10 million dollars over five years, this program provides one of the first major federal funding streams dedicated to foundational artificial intelligence safety science.
External Support and Institutional Views
The bill has also received support from external organizations such as Americans for Responsible Innovation. Organization President Brad Carson stated that artificial intelligence models are being deployed into sensitive systems before it is fully understood how they arrive at their decisions, noting that this situation could lead to major crises in the future. Carson stated that these crises could be averted with this bill, which will expand the research field.
Senate Side and Collaborative Efforts
This bill introduced to the House of Representatives serves as the House counterpart to the bipartisan legislation authored by Senator Jim Banks and Senator Maggie Hassan. The regulation in question was developed in coordination with key technology sector stakeholders.