On December 17, the Bipartisan House Artificial Intelligence Task Force delivered a report outlining recommendations to ensure that the United States leads the world in AI innovation while protecting the American people from AI risks and harms. The report underscored the critical role universities are playing in AI research.
Created in February 2024, the Bipartisan House AI Task Force is co-chaired by Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA). The task force’s report contained 89 recommendations in total.
The report acknowledged that “The United States has maintained its AI leadership largely due to continued and consistent federal investments in AI R&D over decades.” It noted that the federal government funds AI research and development “in areas where the industry lacks incentives to invest, which is crucial to national security, public health, weather predictions, and other societal needs.”
Much of this R&D takes place at universities, which receive grants from federal agencies to do this crucial work. As the report noted: “Fundamental science research in universities drives discoveries that can lead to new or improved technologies while teaching and training the next generation of researchers. University research is also the source of thousands of spin-off companies contributing to regional economic development and job creation.”
The report recommended that the federal government continue to support this research through federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
The report recognized, however, that universities need additional resources to continue moving the AI field forward. It emphasized the importance of programs such as the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot at the NSF, which provides researchers with access to advanced supercomputers for AI research. The report called for greater public-private partnership on AI R&D to give universities access to computational infrastructure and to make it easier for universities to commercialize their research. It also proposed increased international collaboration on AI, particularly in developing international standards for AI research.
In addition, the report acknowledged the importance of training future generations in AI-related fields through AI and STEM education, citing a “significant gap” in AI talent. The report recommended improving STEM education and training and expressed support for the NSF’s effort to “promote curricula development for AI-related fields.” It also recommended evaluating existing workforce development programs and creating opportunities for more Americans to participate in the AI workforce.
The House report arrived months after the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group released its roadmap for AI policy in the U.S. Senate. The Senate roadmap also called for increasing funding for AI innovation, basic AI research, and the computational infrastructure necessary for AI research.
Specifically, the Senate Working Group called for $32 billion in federal spending per year on non-defense AI innovation starting in FY26. It encouraged the Senate Appropriations Committee to prioritize “funding for a cross-government AI research and development effort” and “funding the outstanding CHIPS and Science Act (P.L. 117-167) accounts not yet fully funded, particularly those related to AI.”
AI is likely to be a matter of interest to the new president. In his first term, President-elect Trump actively developed policies to advance AI through research and innovation through his Artificial Intelligence for the American People initiative. He issued an executive order on maintaining American leadership in AI and his administration spearheaded efforts to increase AI research investments, create new national AI research institutes, and create technical standards and regulatory guidance for using AI. Trump has already announced his intention to nominate venture capitalist David Sacks as the new White House “AI czar” to help shape the administration’s policies on AI-related matters.
The House and the Senate AI reports suggest that there is bipartisan interest in ensuring that the United States remains the global leader in AI innovation. It is likely that conversations about how to harness AI’s potential will continue in the new administration and the 119th Congress.
Kritika Agarwal is senior editorial officer at AAU.