WASHINGTON – Global tech trade association ITI and the Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) led anew letter to Senate and House leadership urging lawmakers to enact legislation that authorizes the U.S. AISafety Institute within the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) before the end of the 118th Congress.

The letter, signed by ITI, ARI, and a broad coalition of over 60 multi-industry groups, companies across the business community, academics, and civil society organizations, highlights the imperative for the U.S. tocontinue responsible AI efforts at NIST as other countries establish their own AI safety institutes.

“As other governments quickly move ahead, Members of Congress can ensure that the U.S. does not get left behind in the global AI race by permanently authorizing the AI Safety Institute and providing certainty for its critical role in advancing U.S. AI innovation and adoption,” said ITI President and CEO Jason Oxman. “We urge Congress to heed today’s call to action from industry, civil society, and academia to pass necessary bipartisan legislation before the end of the year.”

“For the U.S. to lead on the responsible development of AI, our government has to lead on the development of voluntary standards and testing that underpin AI safety and resiliency,” said ARI President Brad Carson. “The U.S. AI Safety Institute is spearheading that effort, and authorizing their work under NIST is an easy, bipartisan step forward Congress can take right now. After all the footwork this Congress has done to educate members on AI issues, this is the single most important AI policy lawmakers can pass before the end of the year.”

The Senate Commerce Committee and House Science Committee have each advanced bipartisan bills to authorize the activities of the U.S. AI Safety Institute: S. 4178, the Future of AI Innovation Act and H.R. 9497,the AI Advancement and Reliability Act. Both the House and Senate have undertaken significant efforts on AI this Congress, including the all-Senator AI Insight Forums convened by the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group and creation of the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

Read the full letter here.