SIIA Expresses Supports for the Future of AI Innovation Act

The following statement can be attributed to Paul Lekas, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy & Government Affairs, Software & Information Industry Association.

"We applaud Senators Cantwell, Young, Hickenlooper and Blackburn for introducing the Future of AI Innovation Act (the FAIIA). Ensuring the United States remains a leader in AI and harnesses the potential this technology can offer requires not only the ingenuity and investment of industry and the engagement of academia, but also the singular convening power of the U.S. government. The FAIIA would provide the federal government with the tools necessary to create the infrastructure needed to ensure U.S. leadership in AI and promote innovation to address the greatest challenges of our communities and the nation in alignment with democratic values including safety, security and responsibility.

"It would do this by providing needed authorities for the NIST AI Safety Institute, which has already broken ground and begun working across industry, civil society, and academia through the AI Safety Institute Consortium, of which SIIA is a proud member. The Act would also create AI testbeds, promote cooperation across the federal science agencies, advance international collaboration in standards and research, and tap into the ingenuity of the American public through curated public datasets and grand challenges. These programs will create pathways for new public-private partnerships and accelerate AI innovation.

"In addition, the FAIIA recognizes the need for international collaboration to ensure the future of AI is one that comports with U.S. values. This requires close engagement with allies and partners, and the FAIIA would bolster these efforts with new authorities to advance international standards and bilateral and multilateral AI research collaboration.

"We urge the Senate to move swiftly on this urgent bill and look forward to working with Congress to realize the vision of its sponsors."