US Commerce Department to Receive $10 Mn from TMF for AI Safety Institute

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) has earmarked $13.8 million for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to enhance nuclear emergency response capabilities and establish robust AI safety standards.

While DOE will receive $3.8 million to modernize its critical nuclear emergency response infrastructure, DOC will receive the remaining $10 million to support the growth of its U.S. AI Safety Institute (AISI). 

This investment fills a crucial void in the federal government's technological infrastructure, addressing the absence of standardized processes for evaluating AI systems prior to deployment.

AISI will develop evaluation tools, test AI models and safeguards, provide guidance on AI safety and risk management, and conduct technical research. 

This centralized resource for AI testing and evaluation seeks to potentially save the federal government billions of dollars by enabling the safe and responsible deployment of AI technologies in governmental activities.

“This TMF funding comes at a pivotal time for the AI Safety Institute. AI will be the defining technology of the 21st century, and the science of AI safety is critical to the future of our economic and national security. This funding will build the foundation of the newly established AI Safety Institute, allow us to speed up the development of AI testing capabilities, and help us provide federal agencies with the tools they need to safely deploy AI in ways that benefit the American people,” Director Laurie E. Locascio, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST, said.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the TMF aims to allocate investments towards initiatives expediting the implementation of AI tools throughout the federal government.

Clare Martorana, TMF Board Chair and Federal Chief Information Officer, revealed that the fund has identified over 700 use cases where AI is being deployed across the federal government.