New TMF investments support AI Safety Institute, upgrades to nuclear emergency response

The Department of Energy’s efforts to upgrade nuclear emergency response capabilities and the Department of Commerce’s plans to establish safety standards concerning artificial intelligence will get a boost from the Technology Modernization Fund, which announced $13.8 million in investments to the agencies last week.

Energy will receive $3.8 million to support upgrades for the agency’s radiological response data portal, which is used by the Nuclear Emergency Support Team’s operations, and Commerce will be awarded $10 million to assist the growth of its AI Safety Institute. 

The institute, which is housed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology, was announced last year to assess the risks of the technology and develop guidance to mitigate those issues. It’s currently working with a consortium of more than 200 companies and organizations to address actions in President Joe Biden’s AI executive order, including risk management for generative AI and red-teaming guidance.

To support those efforts, Congress gave NIST up to $10 million in its appropriations for the current fiscal year to stand up the institute. That funding, however, came as the overall budget for NIST was slashed by nearly 12%. 

“In order to remain competitive, while keeping Americans safe, funding the AI Safety Institute is critical,” Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., said in an email to FedScoop. “While I’m glad the AI Safety institute received a one-time grant from the Technology Modernization Fund, truly investing in AI safety requires consistent and sufficient appropriations. That’s why I joined my colleague, Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) in requesting an additional $10 million for the AISI in the last appropriations cycle, which wasn’t granted.

“This lack of investment hurts our competitiveness and our long-term security in a world where AI is rapidly advancing,” Stevens continued. “As we move to pass future appropriations bills, I hope AISI and NIST are funded to necessary levels.”

Larry Bafundo, the newly announced TMF executive director, said in the release that the two investments address “two of the most pressing technological challenges facing our government today. Modernizing our nuclear emergency response systems and establishing AI safety protocols are crucial steps in ensuring our technological infrastructure keeps pace with evolving threats and opportunities.”

NEST, which is managed by the DOE’s Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation, aims to see a 15-year-old system turned into a modernized platform that is capable of “real-time data aggregation, analysis and visualization” from various agencies, according to the release. The new portal would benefit NEST assets, partnering agencies and decision-makers at the federal, state and local levels. 

The AI Safety Institute plans on using the investment to issue guidance on AI safety and risk management, create evaluation tools and conduct technical research, according to the release. The targeted investment aims to “save the federal government billions of dollars” through the safe and responsible implementation of AI in operations throughout the government. 

Laurie Locascio, the undersecretary for NIST within Commerce, said in the release that the 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.”

The investments follow multiple calls from top federal IT leaders and lawmakers to revitalize the TMF, and a notice from the General Services Administration that the program is nearing the end of its American Rescue Plan funding.

This story was updated July 23, 2024, with comments from Rep. Stevens.