Sens Hickenlooper, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Create Guidelines for Third-Party Audits of AI

Sens John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (VET AI) Act which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to work with federal agencies and stakeholders across industry, academia, and civil society to develop detailed specifications, guidelines, and recommendations for third-party evaluators to work with AI companies to provide robust independent external assurance and verification of how their AI systems are developed and tested. Specifically, the VET AI Act would:

• Direct NIST, in coordination with the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, to develop voluntary specifications and guidelines for developers and deployers of AI systems to conduct internal assurance and work with third parties on external assurance regarding the verification and red-teaming of AI systems
• Establish a collaborative Advisory Committee to review and recommend criteria for individuals or organizations seeking to obtain certification of their ability to conduct internal or external assurance for AI systems
• Require NIST to conduct a study examining various aspects of the ecosystem of AI assurance, including the current capabilities and methodologies used, facilities or resources needed, and overall market demand for internal and external AI assurance