Bipartisan group reintroduces legislation to create national AI research infrastructure
Four U.S. senators introduced the CREATE AI Act on Tuesday, legislation designed to establish a shared national research infrastructure that would give American researchers and educators access to the data, software, and tools needed to advance AI research and development.
Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are backing the bill, which would create the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) within the National Science Foundation.
What the legislation would do
The NAIRR would focus on four main objectives:
- Spur innovation and advance development of safe, reliable, and trustworthy AI research
- Improve access to AI resources for researchers and students
- Expand capacity for AI research across the United States
- Develop AI tools for the U.S. workforce
Young said the bill addresses a competitive concern. "The United States cannot cede leadership in AI development to China," he said. "By establishing the National AI Research Resource in statute, the CREATE AI Act will give incredible access and resources to America's brightest."
Booker emphasized the financial barriers researchers currently face. "The steep financial costs of doing this research have pushed too many of them to the sidelines," he said. The NAIRR would lower those barriers by providing shared infrastructure rather than requiring individual institutions to build their own.
Industry and academic support
Indiana University, the AI Policy Network, the Information Technology Industry Council, Cognizant, SeedAI, and the Business Software Alliance have endorsed the legislation.
Pamela Whitten, president of Indiana University, said broadening access for university and nonprofit researchers would "accelerate innovation and expand the impact of research that benefits America."
Daniel Colson, executive director of the AI Policy Network, highlighted a specific research need. "As AI systems become increasingly capable, the ability for scientists to rigorously and independently evaluate AI models is a national security and public safety imperative," he said.
For researchers interested in developing expertise in this area, AI Research Courses and Generative AI and LLM Courses offer foundational and advanced training in the field.
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