As we near the end of the 118th Congress, lawmakers are working hard to introduce final legislation. One of the key bills being considered on the floor of both the House and Senate is the CREATE AI (Creating Resources for Every American to Experiment with Artificial Intelligence) Act. The bill would establish a national AI research resource that would provide access to much-needed computing and datasets to academics, nonprofit researchers, and startups.
It is unclear whether Congress will vote on this bipartisan bill during the lame duck session. Russell WaldThat’s important, says the executive director of the Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute.
“AI is progressing very quickly and the field is currently dominated by industry,” he points out. “The CREATE AI Act brings a more diverse set of stakeholders to the table and adds needed voices to the conversation about the best uses of AI and norms for responsible AI. It promotes non-profit research. This will ensure that AI developments benefit not only customers but society as well.”
Here he explains the status of the bill, what it takes to pass it, and what happens if the bill is delayed.
What is the current status of this bill?
There are two versions of this, one in the House and one in the Senate. Both men are on the floor of the House and Senate, out of their appropriate jurisdictional committees, and have bipartisan support. But we are also in the middle of a lame duck session. That means this bill would have to sit on top of various other bills that would need to be passed during a lame duck session. If passed by both houses of Congress, it will be sent to the president for signature.
What are the chances of that happening in the short months before this Congress adjourns?
This bill has tremendous bipartisan support and, frankly, is a low-hanging fruit that will have a huge impact on AI in the United States. However, there are many things on the parliamentary schedule that must be completed in a short period of time. What we need to see is that the will of Congress applies here, and that Congress actually takes the time to bring this issue to the table. Still, I’m optimistic. Of all the AI bills out there, this is widely understood and accepted as something the United States must do.
Why should we let it pass?
From my standpoint, I would argue that this bill is extremely important. This ensures that the United States is a leader in AI, not only in the field, but also in how we advance medicine, healthcare, robotics, and energy. It will unlock so many possibilities. So time is of the essence to get this right.
What happens if this doesn’t pass?
Back to square one. Some of the current champions will not be participating in the 119th Congress, so new authors will be needed. This means it will take even longer for the U.S. to achieve its desired goals in AI: deploying diverse AI with multiple stakeholders looking to make AI safer and more innovative. I will. There are also national security obligations. For example, China and other countries are advancing this technology in robotics. If the United States wants to maintain its leadership in this technology, it needs to pass the CREATE AI Act.
How might a new government affect this?
I can’t speak to the new Trump administration, but I can speak to the first Trump administration, which HAI worked with. To this end, the company’s AI policy has been very aggressive. In the final days of the Trump administration, there were signals from people in the government’s technology policy arena supporting concepts like a national AI research resource.
November 18, 2024, attended by 78 leaders from academia, industry, and society wrote an open letter urged Congress to pass this law.
