Federal grand challenges in artificial intelligence

(a)

In general

(1)

National artificial intelligence initiative

Title LI of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9411 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

5107.

Federal grand challenges in artificial intelligence

(a)

In general

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (in this section referred to as the Director), acting through the National Science and Technology Council and the Interagency Committee, shall establish a prize competition program pursuant to section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), for the following purposes: (1)Expediting the development of artificial intelligence systems in the United States. (2)Stimulating artificial intelligence research, development, and commercialization that solves or advances specific, well-defined, and measurable challenges in at least one of the priorities in the list under subsection (b). (b)

List of priorities

(1)

In general

The Director, in consultation with industry, civil society, and academia, shall establish, and annually review and update as the Director considers appropriate, a list of priorities consistent with the purposes under subsection (a), for the program under such subsection. (2)

Contents

The list under paragraph (1) may include the following priorities: (A)To overcome challenges with the engineering of and applied research on microelectronics, including through the integration of artificial intelligence with emerging technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum computing, or with respect to physical limits on transistors, advanced interconnects, and memory elements. (B)To promote transformational or long-term advancements in computing and artificial intelligence technologies through any of the following: (i)Next-generation algorithm design. (ii)Next-generation compute capability. (iii)Generative and adaptive artificial intelligence for design applications. (iv)Photonics-based microprocessors and optical communication networks, including electrophotonics. (v)The chemistry and physics of new materials. (vi)Biotechnology, such as modeling a single cell. (vii)Energy utilization or energy efficiency. (viii)Techniques to establish cryptographically secure content provenance information. (ix)Safety and controls for artificial intelligence applications. (C)To promote explainability and mechanistic interpretability of artificial intelligence systems. (D)To advance fundamental understanding of artificial intelligence, including through breakthroughs in theoretical, computational, and experimental methods that discover new and transformative paradigms that explain the advanced capabilities of artificial intelligence in domains such as the following: (i)Interpretability. (ii)Control. (iii)Steerability. (iv)Robustness against foreign adversaries. (E)To develop artificial intelligence solutions, including through integration among emerging technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum computing, to overcome barriers to innovations in advanced manufacturing in the United States, including in areas such as the following: (i)Materials, nanomaterials, and composites. (ii)Rapid, complex design. (iii)Sustainability and environmental impact of manufacturing operations. (iv)Predictive maintenance of machinery. (v)Improved part quality. (vi)Process inspections. (vii)Worker safety. (viii)Robotics. (F)To develop artificial intelligence solutions in sectors of the economy, such as expanding the utilization of artificial intelligence in maritime vessels, including in navigation and in the design of propulsion systems and fuels. (G)To develop artificial intelligence solutions to improve border security, including solutions relevant to the detection of fentanyl, illicit contraband, and illegal activities. (H)To develop artificial intelligence for science applications. (I)To develop cybersecurity for artificial intelligence-related intellectual property, such as artificial intelligence systems and artificial intelligence algorithms for robustness, resilience, and security against foreign adversaries. (J)To develop artificial intelligence solutions to modernize code and software systems that are deployed in the Federal Government and critical infrastructure and are at risk of maintenance difficulty due to code obsolescence or challenges finding expertise in outdated code bases. (K)To develop solutions to reduce energy consumption in developing, deploying, and maintaining data-efficient and high-performance artificial intelligence models. (L)To develop methods to prevent misuse of artificial intelligence systems for malicious purposes. (M)To find applications for artificial intelligence in wireless communications systems, including cellular networks. (N)To advance the capabilities of artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation for physical laboratory infrastructure and cloud laboratories. (3)

Problem statements; success metrics

For each priority in the list under paragraph (1) for which there will be a prize competition through the program under subsection (a), the Director shall publish on Challenge.gov or a successor website information relating to the following: (A)A specific and well-defined problem statement. (B)Targets, success metrics, validation protocols, and other benchmarks that will be utilized to evaluate submissions to such prize competition. (C)Each award for such prize competition. (4)

Consultation on identification and selection of grand challenges

The Director, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and such other agency heads as the Director considers relevant, shall each identify and select artificial intelligence research and development grand challenges in which eligible participants will compete to solve or advance for prize awards under subsection (a). (c)

Federal investment initiatives authorized

(1)

In general

The Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Director of the National Science Foundation may each establish, consistent with the missions or responsibilities of the Department of Commerce, the Department of Transportation, or the Foundation, respectively, a program to carry out challenge-based acquisitions and other research and development investment initiatives the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Director of the National Science Foundation, as the case may be, determines consistent with the list under subsection (b). (2)

Requirements

Each agency head carrying out an investment initiative under paragraph (1) shall ensure the following: (A)With respect to each such initiative, there is, or will be, the following: (i)A positive impact on the economic competitiveness of the United States. (ii)A benefit to United States industry. (iii)In developing such initiative, the resources and expertise of any industry and philanthropic partners to such initiative are leveraged to the extent practicable. (iv)Utilization of advanced manufacturing in the United States, if applicable. (B)All research conducted for such initiative is conducted in the United States. (3)

Accessibility

In carrying out an investment initiative under paragraph (1), the head of the agency at issue shall publish on Challenge.gov or a successor website information relating to the following, as applicable: (A)A specific and well-defined problem statement for such initiative. (B)Targets, success metrics, validation protocols, and other benchmarks that will be utilized to evaluate submissions to such initiative. (C)Each award for such initiative. (d)

Reports

(1)

Notification of winning submission

Not later than 60 days after the date on which the head of an agency makes an award through a program under this section, such head shall provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and such other committees of Congress as such head considers relevant a report on the winning submission for which such award was made and the benefits to the United States associated with such submission. (2)

Biennial report

Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this section and biennially thereafter, each head of an agency for which there is a program under this section shall carry out the following: (A)Submit to the committees referred to in paragraph (1) a report that includes the following for the biennial period covered by such report: (i)A description of the activities carried out by such head under this section. (ii)A description of such program, including the results of such program. (iii)Information relating to the efforts by such head to provide information to the public and encourage participation with respect to such program. (B)Make such report publicly available, including by publishing such report on a website, such as the GovInfo website of the Government Publishing Office, in an easily accessible location. (e)

Sunset

Each program under this section shall terminate on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this section. (f)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Agency

The term agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 403 of title 5, United States Code. (2)

Critical infrastructure

The term critical infrastructure has the meaning given such term in section 1016 of the USA PATRIOT ACT (42 U.S.C. 5195c).

(2)

Clerical amendments

The table of contents in section 2(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 and the table of contents at the beginning of title LI of such Act are amended by inserting after the items relating to section 5106 the following new item:

Sec. 5107. Federal grand challenges in artificial intelligence.

(b)

Studies

(1)

Initial study

(A)

In general

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study of the following: (i)Ongoing prize competition programs carried out under authorities enacted before the date of the enactment of this Act. (ii)Prize competitions, generally. (B)

Elements

The study conducted under subparagraph (A) shall include, to the extent practicable, the following: (i)An identification of the following: (I)Best practices for prize competitions. (II)The metrics the Comptroller General of the United States determines appropriate for evaluating the success of a prize competition. (ii)An assessment of the following: (I)Whether such metrics differ between evaluating near-term and long-term impacts of prize competitions. (II)Whether prize competitions can be designed in a way that would result in more effective or revolutionary technology being developed. (iii)An assessment of the efficacy and effect of the programs referred to in subparagraph (A)(i), including with respect to the following: (I)Whether, and what, technology or innovation would have been developed in the absence of such programs. (II)Whether such programs have shortened the timeframe for the development of technology or innovation. (III)Whether such programs are cost effective. (IV)What benefits, if any, are gained from carrying out such programs. (V)Whether the utilization of a grant program or contract would have resulted in such development. (C)

Report and briefing

Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives the following: (i)A report on the findings of the Comptroller General with respect to the study conducted under subparagraph (A). (ii)A briefing on such report. (2)

Interim study

(A)

In general

Not later than three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study of each prize challenge program under section 5107 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020, as added by subsection (a). (B)

Elements

The study conducted under subparagraph (A) shall include, to the extent practicable, the following: (i)An assessment of the efficacy and effect of the set of programs referred to in subparagraph (A), including with respect to the following: (I)Whether, and what, technology or innovation would have been developed in the absence of such programs. (II)Whether such programs have shortened the timeframe for the development of technology or innovation. (III)Whether such programs are cost effective. (IV)What benefits, if any, are gained from carrying out such programs. (V)Whether the utilization of a grant program or contract would have resulted in such development. (ii)A comparison of such efficacy and effect with the efficacy and effect of the programs referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i). (C)

Report and briefing

Not later than 42 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives the following: (i)A report on the findings of the Comptroller General with respect to the study conducted under subparagraph (A). (ii)A briefing on such report.