WASHINGTON, DC (September 11, 2024) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and the Bipartisan AI Task Force, and Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03), Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, hailed the passage of H.R. 9403, the Expanding AI Voices Act, out of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
The Expanding AI Voices Act will facilitate capacity building, promote increased access, and broaden participation in artificial intelligence research, education and workforce development.
“As Artificial Intelligence systems and development continues to evolve, we must take significant strides to prepare and bolster our workforce by using all the amazing talent our nation has to offer,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. “Artificial Intelligence holds tremendous promise to improve quality of life, but as with many technologies, there is significant risk that the benefits will extend primarily to communities who are part of its development, raising the possibility that AI could reinforce existing structural, economic, social, and demographic disparities. This bipartisan legislation will empower the talent of our nation’s MSIs, HBCUs, rural-serving institutions, and TCUs, ensuring we can properly foster, develop, and support a diverse workforce that is ready to take the lead in the rapidly advancing AI landscape. I am pleased that this bill passed through committee markup today, and I look forward to continuing to move it through the House and into law.”
“It is crucial to strengthen and expand our AI workforce to propel this vital technology forward,” Chairman Frank Lucas said. “This includes the development of programs and initiatives aimed at fostering the progress of AI within educational institutions that have historically lacked representation in the STEM fields. I’m proud to work with Congresswoman Foushee on this bill to achieve these goals and create opportunities for students across the country.”
Specifically, the Expanding AI Voices Act of 2024 will:
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Codify and expand the ExpandAI program at the National Science Foundation (NSF), which supports artificial intelligence (AI) capacity-building projects for eligible entities including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
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Broaden the ExpandAI program in scope and types of activities it supports to further build and enhance partnerships between eligible entities and awardees of the National AI Research Institutes ecosystem to broaden AI research and development.
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Direct the National Science Foundation to engage in outreach to increase their pool of applications and address common barriers preventing these organizations from submitting an application.
The Expanding AI Voices Act is endorsed by: American Mathematical Society, Americans for Responsible Innovation, Association of Community College Trustees, Carnegie Mellon, Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI), Duke University, Federation of American Scientists, IBM, National Hispanic Health Foundation, SeedAI, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The full bill text of the Expanding AI Voices Act is available here.