A bipartisan group of senators is reintroducing the Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted Artificial Intelligence (TEST AI) Act to enhance the federal government’s ability to assess AI systems.

Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) are leading the initiative.

Previously passed by the Senate Commerce Committee but stalled before a floor vote, the legislation directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a testbed pilot program for developing standardized methods to evaluate AI performance, reliability, and security.

“AI has reached every sector in our country and driven innovation, but we cannot ignore the vulnerabilities and risks that come with it. While these systems have the power to change lives, they can also fall short — providing inaccurate or biased data — and are at risk of malicious attacks or misuse by our adversaries,” Sen. Luján told FedScoop.

According to him, the TEST AI Act addresses key shortcomings by establishing government testbeds to better evaluate AI systems. He added that the initiative would leverage the expertise of the national laboratories and enhance the federal government’s ability to implement responsible safeguards that protect national security and the American public.

“Innovation at the Department of Energy, our National Laboratories, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology has significantly advanced the boundaries of scientific discovery, but we need to ensure there are safeguards in place to prevent the misuse of AI. The TEST AI Act would direct these teams to establish safeguards, enabling AI to evolve while lowering the risk of manipulating this technology,” Sen. Blackburn added.