On December 18, Congress passed the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes many AI provisions. The NDAA is expected to be signed by President Biden. The NDAA contains the first, and perhaps only, AI provision passed by the 118th Congress. The bipartisan Senate AI Task Force called for comprehensive AI legislation earlier this year, but the NDAA’s AI provisions do not substantively regulate the use of AI. Instead, it directs defense agencies to launch pilot programs and initiatives to help governments deploy AI for defense purposes.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2025, which includes numerous AI provisions, with bipartisan support. The bill will now be sent to President Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law.
In recent months, Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other senators determined to take action on AI, as we have covered, have argued that the NDAA is the most likely to pass an AI bill this Congress. It was increasingly promoted as a path of high sexual quality. And while the NDAA includes provisions regarding AI, such as the comprehensive AI bill that the bipartisan Senate AI Task Force and others called for this year, as we have covered, they are not generally applicable. It does not contain any provisions. Instead, the NDAA’s AI provisions direct defense agencies to launch pilot programs and initiatives that support the government’s adoption of AI for strategic and operational purposes.
AI in the NDAA
The NDAA includes a number of AI provisions that direct defense agencies to adopt the use of AI for strategic and operational purposes. The NDAA:
Creation of Chief Digital Engineering Recruitment and Management Officer: The NDAA will appoint a Chief Digital Engineering Recruitment and Management Officer to be responsible for “defining the roles and responsibilities of artificial intelligence talent” in the Department of Defense (DOD). Advancing AI Education: This law directs the Department of Defense Chief Digital and AI Officer to develop educational courses on AI for members of the Department within 180 days of enactment of the NDAA. Identifying AI National Security Risks: The NDAA amends the existing responsibilities of the Chief Digital and AI Officer Governing Council to identify AI that could pose a national security risk if accessed by an adversary of the United States. ” instructs the council to identify and “develop” AI models. Strategies to Prevent Unauthorized Access to Such Technologies.” The NDAA also directs the council to “recommend legislative action and make recommendations to relevant federal agencies” regarding AI. Utilize AI for Audits: The law directs the heads of various branches of the Armed Forces to “encourage” the use of AI to “facilitate audits of the Department of Defense’s financial statements.” Masu. Improving the human usability of AI: The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering has announced an initiative to “improve the human usability of artificial intelligence systems and the information obtained from such systems through the application of cognitive ergonomics techniques.” shall be started. Consider AI in Budgeting: Within 180 days of enactment of the NDAA, the Department of Defense Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer will include in the AI budget “the data necessary to train, maintain, and improve artificial intelligence components or subcomponents. The type of quotation shall be included. included in such programs. ”
Secretary of Defense AI Program
The NDAA specifically directs the Department of Defense to launch a number of pilot programs and initiatives to accelerate the Department’s adoption and development of AI.
Biotechnology and AI Pilot Program: Within one year of enactment of the NDAA, the Secretary of Defense, with the support of public-private partnerships, will establish a “short-term use case and demonstration program for artificial intelligence for national security-related biotechnology applications.” A pilot program will be launched to develop the enacted. AI Workflow Optimization Pilot Program: Within 60 days of enactment of the NDAA, the Secretary of Defense will study and determine the feasibility of using AI to optimize the workflow and operations of DoD manufacturing facilities and contract management services. A pilot program will be launched to Multilateral AI Working Group: Within 90 days of passage of the NDAA, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a working group to “develop and coordinate artificial intelligence efforts among U.S. allies and partners.” Expanding the Department of Defense’s AI Capabilities: The Secretary of Defense shall establish a program to “meet the requirements for testing and processing next-generation advanced artificial intelligence capabilities” at Department of Defense facilities. The Secretary directs the Department of Defense to expand its infrastructure for “the development and deployment of military applications of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence capabilities” and to develop “advanced artificial intelligence systems with general-purpose military applications.” has been done.
sense of parliament
The NDAA recognizes both the potential strategic benefits of AI and the risks it poses. There are numerous benefits to using AI, from increasing the “security of critical strategic communications” to increasing the “efficiency of planning processes to reduce the risk of collateral damage.” But Congress feels that “particular care must be taken to ensure that the introduction of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools does not increase the risk of compromising our nation’s most important strategic assets.”
A new Congress would have to start from scratch, meaning bills would have to be introduced or re-introduced, current legislative action would have no effect, and control of the Senate would shift to Republicans. Efforts to pass AI regulations in this divided Congress, led primarily by Democrats, always face an uphill battle, with partisan views on the urgency of regulating AI and the need to better understand it. The differences were complicated. With Republicans taking control of both chambers in January, Republicans in the next Congress are unlikely to pursue the kind of significant AI regulation that has been proposed over the past year, instead moving toward deregulation and AI research and development. will support investment. But just as AI continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how the next Congress will chart the future direction of AI legislative activity.
