New bill would codify an AI resource piloted under Biden
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., speaks onstage during the HumanX AI Conference 2025 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on March 09, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Obernolte joined Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., in introducing legislation March 31 to cement the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource. Big Event Media/Getty Images for HumanX Conference
This year's version of the CREATE AI Act attempts to relieve the burden of funding the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource by inviting the private sector to help.
A new piece of artificial intelligence legislation introduced Monday would permanently establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource initiative. Sponsored by Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Don Beyer, D-Va., the bipartisan bill was reintroduced into the House following a first attempt in 2023.
The NAIRR is a pilot program currently managed by the National Science Foundation that was launched in January 2024 and focuses on private sector collaborations to help democratize the computing and data training resources for researchers working with AI systems. It was initially mandated under former President Joe Biden’s landmark 2023 executive order on AI.
Obernolte and Beyer’s CREATE AI Act would codify the NAIRR as a permanent institution within NSF to ensure its funding assistance can continue despite President Donald Trump’s repeal and replacement of Biden’s AI order.
One key difference in the bill: A new funding structure would ensure that not all of NAIRR’s cash flow is dependent on the federal government by allowing resources to be contributed by private sector companies in the form of both cash and services.
“Importantly, the NAIRR will be built using donated resources from both federal agencies and the private sector, ensuring that its impact is achieved without requiring a massive new federal expenditure,” the release said. “Cloud computing power, datasets, storage capabilities, AI models, and educational tools will all be contributed by participating partners, leveraging existing infrastructure to maximize access and minimize cost. This collaborative model empowers government, academia, and industry to work together to expand opportunity and accelerate innovation in a fiscally responsible way.”
Concerns over the cost of the program come as the Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency have prioritized slashing expenditures across multiple agencies' spending programs in a bid to improve government operational efficiency.
The bill takes other current elements of the NAIRR and cements them into law, such as the establishment of its governing steering committee within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Researchers would also continue to have access to the NAIRR and its resources, including students, teachers and small businesses.
“Artificial intelligence is one of the most transformative technologies of our time, but currently the tools needed to develop it are out of reach for most Americans,” Obernolte said in a statement. “The CREATE AI Act will democratize access to cutting-edge AI resources by establishing a shared national infrastructure for research and experimentation.”