Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have introduced bipartisan legislation to set standards and safeguards to guide the purchase and use of artificial intelligence systems across the federal government.
The Promoting Responsible Evaluation and Procurement to Advance Readiness for Enterprise-wide Deployment for AI Act would require federal agencies to assess and address the AI risks before buying and deploying the emerging technology and develop pilot programs to test flexible purchasing practices, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs said Tuesday.
The PREPARED For AI Act would require agencies to include safety and security terms in government contracts for AI capabilities, conduct testing and evaluation to mitigate potential risks and set up AI governance structures to coordinate procurement efforts.
“Artificial intelligence has the power to reshape how the federal government provides services to the American people for the better, but if left unchecked, it can pose serious risks,” said Peters. “These guardrails will help guide federal agencies’ responsible adoption and use of AI tools, and ensure that systems paid for by taxpayers are being used safely and securely.”