Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have introduced a bipartisan bill that would require the Department of Defense to conduct a competitive award process when procuring artificial intelligence tools and cloud computing platforms.
The Protecting AI and Cloud Competition in Defense Act “will make sure that as the Department of Defense keeps expanding its use of AI and cloud computing tools, it’s making good deals that will keep our information secure and our government resilient,” Warren said in a statement published Thursday.
What Would the Bill Do?
The legislation would direct DOD to consider cloud services from multiple providers and help ensure that the U.S. government keeps exclusive rights to access and use of all government data.
The proposed measure would require the DOD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office to ensure that government data supplied for the purpose of AI product development and operation will not be used or disclosed without the department’s authorization.
Under the bill, the Pentagon should publish a report every four years on innovation, barriers to entry, competition and market power concentration in the AI sector. The report should offer recommendations for administrative and legislative action.
