Luján, Welch Introduce Bill to Support Research of Emerging AI-Enabled Green Technologies

Washington, D.C. - Last week, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the AI Innovation and Development for Efficiency (AIDE) Act, legislation that would establish programming at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research into artificial intelligence (AI) innovation initiatives at universities nationwide, including at leading-edge research institutions. The program created by the AIDE Act would support research that focuses on improving efficiency across a number of issue areas, including agriculture, emissions reductions, mobility or transportation, resource conservation, smart grids, and waste reduction.

"The United States has an enormous opportunity to be a global leader in the development of AI-enabled efficient technologies that benefit our farmland, electric grids, water systems, transportation systems and other vital infrastructure," said Senator Luján. "Prioritizing this goal will be critically important for our economy by introducing huge cost savings, and it will advance a mission that we all care about - leaving our environment in a better condition for future generations. This is why I am proud to co-sponsor the AI Innovation and Efficiency (AIDE) Act, which would increase support for AI-enabled green tech research, such as the smart grid research that New Mexico's EPSCoR is focused on."

"For any emerging technology, it is critical that we balance innovation with appropriate guardrails," said Senator Welch. "Artificial Intelligence brings limitless potential, especially when we look to the green energy and infrastructure modernization. The AIDE Act supports research into this exciting technology: From making our agriculture systems more resilient, to ensuring our energy grids and transportation systems are as efficient as possible, AI has commonsense applications that can be applied to improve lives every day. It is critical that we ensure our AI investment and innovation works in the public interest."

The AIDE Act is endorsed by Public Citizen, Access Now, and Accountable Tech.

"There are many potential downsides of AI usage, but there are several significant opportunities AI presents when paired with appropriate guardrails and investments. Senator Welch's AIDE Act provides a much-needed process to study beneficial AI use cases by directing the National Science Foundation to support AI research proposals in high-value areas, like building smart grids, green transportation, agriculture, and more. This bill is an important step toward fostering broader AI innovation beyond just profits and ensuring that AI's benefits are maximized for societal good," said Richard Anthony, Emerging Technologies Policy Advocate, Public Citizen.

"While the environmental impact of AI is cause for concern, the potential of AI to harness technological advancement toward a cleaner, more efficient future merits study," said Kaili Lambe, Policy and Advocacy Director at Accountable Tech. "Sen. Welch'sAIDE Act offers an opportunity to gain crucial understanding of the potential of AI-enabled energy efficiency - a much needed innovation in our efforts to mitigate the damage caused by climate change."

"The AIDE Act of 2024 represents a step towards a future where technological advancements and environmental stewardship are seamlessly integrated," said Willmary Escoto, U.S. Policy Counsel for Access Now. "By fostering the development of sustainable AI-enabled technologies that minimize pollution, promote clean air, water, and enhance climate resilience, this bill demonstrates a commitment to human-rights centered U.S. policy on AI research and development and will help ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of our people and our planet's health."

Learn more about the AIDE Act.

Read the full text of the bill.

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