Portman, Bennet Praise Senate Passage of Bipartisan Amendment in FY 21 NDAA for Report on AI Standards of the Defense Industrial Base 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) praised the Senate passage of their bipartisan amendment to the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring the Department of Defense (DoD) to report on the artificial intelligence (AI) standards related to the country’s defense industrial base. This will help policymakers understand the national security aspects of AI standards setting.  This legislation will now need to be conferenced with the version passed by the House of Representatives.

“As the co-chair of the Senate AI Caucus, I’m pleased this bipartisan amendment was included in the Senate-passed NDAA to ensure we are cognizant of the standards the U.S. is setting with regards to AI competition with China,” said Portman. “This amendment will push the Department of Defense to be forward-thinking about their investments in AI and how to strategically work with the public and private sector to develop and mature our own capabilities.” 

“As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly critical to national security, the U.S. must lead the effort to set global standards for its development and implementation,” said Bennet. “This Senate-passed amendment will direct the Department of Defense to report to Congress on its critical role in developing a coherent strategy to set standards for artificial intelligence in national security and the defense industrial base.” 

NOTE: As co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, Portman has helped lead efforts in the Senate on this issue, and has worked in a bipartisan manner on several key measures to set high-quality standards around emerging technology, including cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. 

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