A Senate bill is seeking to harness the power of artificial intelligence within the Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories to achieve scientific breakthroughs related to national security, science and energy.
The bipartisan Department of Energy AI Act introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and Lisa Murkowksi, R-Alaska, would require the DOE secretary to establish an AI program to perform research on the development and deployment of advanced AI capabilities, the office of Sen. Manchin said Wednesday.
The proposed legislation would also authorize the agency’s Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security and Technology initiative and require creating an AI risk evaluation and mitigation program to address the safety and security risks associated with the technology; developing a strategic plan that includes short-term and long-term AI deployment goals; and advancing AI-related science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and workforce development.
“This bipartisan legislation will leverage the agency’s existing world-class laboratory test facilities, scientific workforce, and advanced computing resources to strengthen our country’s AI capabilities to remain the superpower of the world in energy, national security, and economic competitiveness,” said Manchin, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
