A coalition of over 60 organizations, including major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, is urging U.S. lawmakers to pass legislation establishing the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (AISI) before the current Congress term concludes.

The AISI was created in November 2023 as part of President Biden's AI Executive Order to evaluate the safety of advanced AI models, but it currently lacks congressional authorization, making it vulnerable to potential dismantling by future administrations.

Concerns are mounting that without the AISI, the U.S. risks losing its leadership in AI to foreign nations, particularly as international leaders have recently agreed to form a network of AI Safety Institutes.

The coalition, led by Americans for Responsible Innovation and the Information Technology Industry Council, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing AI safety legislation for national security and competitiveness.

They are calling for Congress to merge two existing bills—the Future of Artificial Intelligence Innovation Act and the AI Advancement and Reliability Act—to formally establish the AISI under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

As time is running out in 2024, the likelihood of Congress passing the endorsed federal AI legislation before the year's end remains uncertain, especially given the current Congress's historically low productivity.

If both bills pass, they will be reconciled into one for President Biden to sign, although the chances of this happening are complicated by the ongoing election cycle.

Chris MacKenzie from Americans for Responsible Innovation warns that a new president could easily repeal the executive order that established the AISI, jeopardizing its future.

Securing congressional authorization for the AISI could lead to more stable funding, as it currently operates on a limited budget of around $10 million.

While the AISI has voluntary standards and limited enforcement power, it is viewed as a promising platform for establishing benchmarks for future AI policy.

Signatories of the coalition's letter also include defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Palantir, as well as academic institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University.

The letter highlights the critical need for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in developing science-backed standards for advanced AI technologies.