Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act, Title II ("National Institute of Standards and Technology for the Future"), Subtitle B ("Measurement Research")

• Authority: United States Congress
• Parent authority: Federal government
• Jurisdiction: United States
• Collections: U.S. federal laws
• Most recent activity: Enacted
• Most recent activity date: 2022-08-09

Risk subdomain coverage

Good coverage — Comprehensive governance measures or mitigations with clear procedures relating to the risk subdomain are explicitly described.

• AI system security vulnerabilities
• Lack of capability or robustness

Minimal coverage — Brief mention but no specific mitigations, recommendations or governance measures relating to the risk subdomain are described.

• Unfair discrimination and misrepresentation
• Unequal performance across groups
• Compromise of privacy
• Competitive dynamics
• Lack of transparency or interpretability

All other risk subdomains had no coverage in this document.

Risk Coverage Summary

The document has minimal to good coverage of approximately 5-6 subdomains, with primary focus on AI system security (2.2), lack of robustness (7.3), lack of transparency (7.4), and competitive dynamics (6.4). Coverage is concentrated in technical AI safety, security vulnerabilities, and research infrastructure domains. The document addresses risks through measurement research, testing programs, and standards development rather than direct regulation of harmful outcomes.

Sector coverage

Good coverage — Comprehensive governance measures or mitigations with clear procedures relating to the sector are explicitly described.

• Information
• Scientific Research & Development Services
• Educational Services
• Public Administration (excl. National Security)

Minimal coverage — Brief mention but no specific mitigations, recommendations or governance measures relating to the sector are described.

• Agriculture, Mining, Construction & Manufacturing
• Health Care & Social Assistance
• National Security

All other sectors had no coverage in this document.

Sectors Summary

This document primarily governs AI use in Scientific Research and Development Services (NIST's core function) and Information sectors (cybersecurity, communications, software). It also addresses specific applications in Health Care (biometrics), Public Administration (federal agency cybersecurity), and Educational Services (cybersecurity education grants).

Legislative Status

Hard Law

Legislative Status Summary

This is a binding legislative act from the United States Congress with mandatory obligations on the Director of NIST and other federal agencies, using predominantly mandatory language ('shall') and establishing formal programs, reporting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms.

Actors

Proposer

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Entities: United States Congress
• Summary: This is a Congressional Act (Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act) proposed and enacted by the United States Congress as indicated by the legislative format and structure.

Target

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor, AI_Developer, AI_Infrastructure_Provider
• Entities: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Director of NIST; Federal agencies; institutions of higher education; private sector entities; biometrics vendors; software developers; AI developers
• Summary: The document primarily targets NIST and its Director with mandatory obligations to conduct research, develop standards, and establish programs. It also applies to federal agencies, research institutions, and private sector entities that participate in NIST programs or adopt voluntary standards.

Enforcer

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Entities: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Director of NIST; United States Congress; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Federal agency Inspectors General
• Summary: NIST and its Director are the primary enforcers responsible for implementing the programs and requirements. Congress enforces through oversight and mandatory reporting requirements. GAO provides independent evaluation and reporting to Congress.

Monitor

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Entities: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Director of NIST; United States Congress; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Comptroller General
• Summary: NIST monitors through its testing programs, performance metrics, and ongoing research activities. Congress monitors through mandatory reporting requirements. GAO provides independent monitoring and evaluation through congressionally-mandated reports.

AI Lifecycle Stages

Lifecycle stages covered by the documents, as defined in the OECD Framework for the Classification of AI Systems

• Plan and Design
• Collect and Process Data
• Build and Use Model
• Verify and Validate
• Deploy
• Operate and Monitor

AI Lifecycle Summary

The document covers multiple AI lifecycle stages with primary focus on Build and Use Model, Verify and Validate, and Operate and Monitor stages. It emphasizes measurement research, testing programs, standards development, and ongoing monitoring of AI systems, particularly for biometric identification and cybersecurity applications.

Technical Scope

Terms relating to technical scope that are mentioned or implicitly referenced in the document

• AI Models
• AI Systems
• Open Weight / Open Source

Technical Scope Summary

The document explicitly mentions AI systems, AI models, and artificial intelligence throughout. It focuses on specific applications including biometric identification systems, cybersecurity AI systems, and advanced communications AI. The document does not explicitly mention frontier AI, general purpose AI, foundation models, or compute thresholds. It addresses both the development and deployment of AI technologies through measurement research and standards development.