Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., have introduced new legislation that aims to make artificial intelligence models more transparent by requiring the creators of these models to make certain information publicly available to consumers.
The two Democrats introduced the AI Foundation Model Transparency Act on Dec. 22. The bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to set transparency standards for AI model deployers.
“Artificial intelligence foundation models commonly described as a ‘black box’ make it hard to explain why a model gives a particular response. Giving users more information about the model – how it was built and what background information it bases its results on – would greatly increase transparency,” Rep. Beyer said in a press release.
“This bill would help users determine if they should trust the model they are using for certain applications, and help identify limitations on data, potential biases, or misleading results,” he added. “When a model’s bias could lead to harmful results like rejections for housing or loan applications, or faulty medical decisions, the importance of this reform becomes clear and very significant.”
Specifically, the bill would direct companies to provide the FTC and consumers with information on the model’s training data, operations, documentation, and whether user data is collected in inference. It also directs the commission to issue guidance to “assist covered entities in complying with the standards established,” according to the bill’s text.
The lawmakers said the bill looks to protect small AI deployers and researchers, while seeking responsible transparency practices from high-impact foundation models. It would also help to protect copyright owners protect their copyrights by giving users more information.
“This critical legislation will provide necessary information and empower consumers to make well-informed decisions when they interact with AI,” Rep. Eshoo said. “It will also provide the FTC critical information for it to continue to protect consumers in an AI-enabled world.”
The bill aligns with President Biden’s recent AI executive order (EO), which includes a provision that will require developers of the most powerful AI systems to share their safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government in accordance with the Defense Production Act.
