Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has urged CEOs of multiple artificial intelligence companies to prioritize security and counter bias as they design and deploy artificial intelligence systems.

In letters sent to technology leaders, Warner requested that the recipients respond to a list of 16 questions with regard to how they address security risks associated with AI development, the senator’s office said Wednesday.

Security risks identified by Warner, who serves as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, include data poisoning attacks, data supply chain security concerns, algorithmic bias, trustworthiness and malicious use of AI systems.

Questions listed in the letter ask about the technology companies’ security approaches, implementation of restrictions on third-party access to AI models, measures to ensure the security and accuracy of data inputs and outputs and efforts to monitor and audit systems to detect and mitigate security breaches.

The letters were addressed to chief executives of Anthropic, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Midjourney, OpenAI, Percipient.ai, Scale AI and Stability AI.

Warner said that the responses should be submitted no later than May 26.

The National Science Foundation has selected five university teams to receive a total of $16.1 million in funding to create, advance and democratize access to artificial intelligence research and development resources, including data on human-machine collaboration.

NSF said Tuesday it will support projects that conduct AI research on a shared news recommender system, immersive virtual environments and social robotics as part of its Computer and Information Science and Engineering Community Research Infrastructure program.

The agency selected research teams led by the University of Central Florida; the University of Pennsylvania; the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; the University of California, Los Angeles; and the Pennsylvania State University.

Each team will provide AI researchers and students with hands-on training opportunities and educational resources to enable knowledge sharing and collaboration.

“A critical element to the success of the AI research revolution is ensuring that researchers have access to the data and platforms required to continue to drive innovation and scalability in AI technologies and systems,” said Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of NSF.

The Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau pledged to enforce laws to protect consumers against the misuse of automated systems and artificial intelligence.

FTC distributed the joint statement, which was signed by its chair, Lina Khan, on Tuesday. It was cosigned by Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division, EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows and CFPB Director Rohit Chopra.

AI and other software and algorithmic processes have been instrumental in modernizing civil and economic practices, but bad actors have also discovered their use in unlawful bias and discrimination, according to notice.

The four agencies stressed that they have separately taken action to prevent discrimination and abuse of automated systems. The FTC released a report detailing how automated tools can cause businesses to breach data privacy and provide inaccurate information.

CFPB issued a circular emphasizing that consumer financial laws will still apply in cases of unfair or deceptive actions, even if the technology used is deemed old or too complex. 

“Technological advances can deliver critical innovation—but claims of innovation must not be cover for lawbreaking,” Khan stated. “There is no AI exemption to the laws on the books, and the FTC will vigorously enforce the law to combat unfair or deceptive practices or unfair methods of competition.”