On January 1, 2021, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 into law, which included the National AI Initiative Act of 2020 (the “Act”). The Act established the National AI Initiative, creating a coordinated program across the federal government to accelerate AI research and application to support economic prosperity, national security, and advance AI leadership in the U.S.1
In addition to creating the Initiative, the Act also established National AI Research Resource Task Force (the “Task Force”), convening a group of technical experts across academia, government and industry to assess and provide recommendations on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a National AI Research Resource (NAIRR). On June 10, 2021, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) formed the Task Force pursuant to the requirements in the NDAA.
The Task Force will develop a coordinated roadmap and implementation plan for establishing and sustaining a NAIRR, a national research cloud to provide researchers with access to computational resources, high-quality data sets, educational tools and user support to facilitate opportunities for AI research and development. The roadmap and plan will also include a model for governance and oversight, technical capabilities and an assessment of privacy and civil liberties, among other contents. Finally, the Task Force will submit two reports to Congress to present its findings, conclusions and recommendations—an interim report in May 2022 and a final report in November 2022.2
A request for information (RFI) will be posted in the Federal Register to gather public input on the development and implementation of the NAIRR.
National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee
The Biden-Harris administration also announced the imminent establishment of the National AI Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee will provide recommendations on various AI topics, including the current state of U.S. economic competitiveness and leadership, research and development, and commercial application. Additionally, the Advisory Committee will assess the management, coordination and activities of the National AI Initiative, and societal, ethical, legal, safety and security matters, among other considerations. An RFI will be posted in the Federal Register to call for nominations of qualified experts to help develop recommendations on these issues, including perspectives from labor, education, research, startup businesses and more.3
The Akin Gump cross-practice AI team continues to actively monitor forthcoming initiatives related to AI, including as the federal government continues to make progress in implementing the National AI Initiative.
1 National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office, National Artificial Intelligence Initiative, available at https://www.ai.gov/.
2 The White House, The Biden Administration Launches the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force (Press Release), June 10, 2021.
3 Ibid.
