S.Amdt. 3341

SA 3341, submitted by Mr. Cornyn, aims to add a section to bill S. 2296 that allows the Secretary of Defense to create at least one National Security and Defense Artificial Intelligence Institute.

The purpose of these institutes is to focus on foundational science or cross-cutting challenges regarding artificial intelligence (AI) systems within the national security and defense sector. These institutes are designed to:

• Build partnerships between public and private groups, including industry, nonprofit research organizations, Federal agencies, and institutions of higher education like community colleges.
• Create or improve innovation ecosystems to turn research into products and applications for national security and defense.
• Support interdisciplinary research and development and workforce development for AI disciplines in the United States.

To achieve this, the Secretary of Defense can provide financial assistance to eligible host institutions, which are defined as senior military colleges. This funding is awarded through a competitive, merit-based review process for a five-year period, with the possibility of one renewal for another five years.

The funds can be used for several activities, including:

• Managing secure and privacy-protected data sets for training and testing AI systems.
• Developing testbeds to evaluate AI systems before they are deployed.
• Conducting research and education to solve national security challenges.
• Providing access to computing resources, networking, and data facilities.
• Providing technical assistance and software engineering support.
• Conducting outreach to increase participation in the AI workforce.

The amendment specifies that no financial assistance can be awarded to any entity outside of the United States, and all recipients and subgrantees must be based in the United States.