The Bipartisan Policy Center is launching an artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum and resources to educate Congressional staff about the latest developments in the technology with financial backing from Google.
The AI 101 initiative will feature a website that will be continually updated with new research and surveys about AI, along with a workshop program for House and Senate staff to attend and learn about the developments, according to a copy of the announcement shared solely with The Hill.
The initiative aims to reach staff members who aren’t necessarily working directly on AI legislation to provide them with a foundation of knowledge about AI as considerations about how to approach AI regulation intensifies, said Tom Romanoff, director of the Technology Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
The curriculum was formulated with guidance from academic institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University.
Google, one of several tech giants heavily investing in AI developments, is the main financial sponsor. Romanoff said Google did not participate in crafting the curriculum and BPC maintains “fierce independence” from funders in terms of editorial oversight.
Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google and a member of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s president’s council, said the company is “pleased to support” the AI training.
“AI applications cover a wide range from everyday to extraordinary, allowing us to make advancements in everything from science to cyber defense. But to maintain the momentum and ensure that AI’s benefits are widely shared, we all need to make learning about and using AI tools more accessible. Strong AI skilling programs like this are an important initial step in the right direction,” Walker said in a statement.
The workshops will be organized into four pillars.
The first pillar, which focuses on AI fundamentals, will take place this spring. Feedback and questions from the first session will shape the focus of the following sessions.
Romanoff expressed his hope to expand the program, either later this year or next year, to pilot some workshops at the state level.
“We need to be inclusive of where we see the governance question happening,” he said.
The House and Senate have been considering proposals to regulate AI, but neither chamber has made progress with plans to implement regulations as tech companies surge ahead with new AI features.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) gathered a bipartisan working group to take the lead on AI and held a series of closed-door AI Insight Forums to discuss risks with stakeholders and Senators last year.
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) launched a bipartisan task force focused on AI in February.
