Portman, Bennet Praise Senate Passage of Bipartisan Amendment to Strengthen Military's AI Capabilities in FY 2021 NDAA 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), co-founder of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, and Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) praised the Senate passage of their bipartisan amendment to the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to require the Department of Defense to report to Congress on ways to strengthen ties between the Joint AI Center and each of the military services. This legislation will now need be conferenced with the version passed by the House of Representatives.

“I’m pleased the Senate passed this bipartisan amendment since it is essential that we provide our armed forces with the technical skill and proficiency necessary to take full advantage of next-generation capabilities like artificial intelligence,” said Portman. “This Senate-passed amendment to the NDAA will take important steps towards that goal by facilitating stronger civilian cooperation with DoD while also sending a clear message that Congress is serious about leadership in the field of AI.” 

“For the Department of Defense to successfully incorporate artificial intelligence at all levels of our national security strategy, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center must reflect the full makeup of our Armed Forces,” said Bennet. “This Senate-passed amendment will direct the Department of Defense to considers expanding its personnel base to strengthen ties to the warfighter and the needs of the services.”

NOTE:  Last month, Portman introduced the Artificial Intelligence for the Armed Forces Act, which will strengthen the Department of Defense’s artificial intelligence (AI) capacity by increasing the number of AI and cyber professionals in the department. 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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