Workforce for AI Trust Act (H.R. 9334)

Workforce for AI Trust Act

This bill provides for various workforce development and research programs related to artificial intelligence (AI).

For example, the bill authorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support education and workforce development activities to expand careers in the AI workforce. Further, the bill requires NIST to develop a common system for describing and classifying AI-related tasks, knowledge, and skills that can be used to develop job descriptions or competency areas (an AI workforce framework). NIST must develop guidelines for using the framework and take other steps to support external use (e.g., through outreach and dissemination to AI education programs).

Separately, the National Science Foundation (NSF) may make awards through eligible institutions of higher education to support graduate and postdoctoral research fellowships across disciplines (including in social science and humanities) related to trustworthy AI. NSF may also make awards to support institutional workshops to advance the development and training of trustworthy AI systems.

NSF must encourage the use of AI to accelerate work across NSF-supported fields, including by supporting (1) training for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, (2) workshops on the application of trustworthy AI to new uses, and (3) supplements to existing research awards for applying AI to ongoing research.

Further, NSF must generally ensure that merit review panels convened to evaluate AI-related proposals incorporate perspectives from diverse research disciplines (e.g., social science, ethics, and linguistics).