Bill · S. 4707· Senate(119-S-4707)
Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 6/8/2026
- Last activity
- 6/8/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- Sponsored by
- Christopher Coons
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
S. 4707, known as the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act of 2026, establishes new policies and requirements for the Department of Defense regarding the acquisition and use of autonomous weapon systems and artificial intelligence capabilities. The bill requires the Department of Defense to maintain continuous human oversight, appropriate testing, and rigorous reviews for safety, legal compliance, and operational reliability before systems are developed or fielded. It explicitly bans the use of artificial intelligence or autonomy for initiating the launch of a nuclear weapon, targeting individuals in the United States without a warrant, or employing lethal force without appropriate human judgment. Additionally, the legislation creates an Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Working Group and mandates annual reports to congressional defense committees through January 31, 2037.
Yes· 3 of 4
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?+7
The legislation strongly protects civil liberties by prohibiting unwarranted military AI tracking or targeting of individuals in the U.S.
Does this give people more control over their personal data?+6
The legislation mandates privacy impact assessments and strict protections for data covered under the Privacy Act and HIPAA.
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?+5
The bill mandates rigorous cybersecurity testing and resilient system designs for military AI and autonomous systems.
The opposite
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?-5
The bill explicitly prohibits unauthorized military surveillance and domestic targeting of individuals without a warrant.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Privacy and Civil Liberties: Under section 2(e)(2), the bill prohibits the Department of Defense from using autonomy or artificial intelligence to monitor, track, profile, or target individuals in the United States without a warrant obtained based on probable cause. This protects everyday citizens from unwarranted surveillance and protects constitutional rights.
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Human Safety and Accountability: Under section 2(a) and section 2(b)(1), the Department of Defense is required to maintain continuous and rigorous human oversight over autonomous weapon systems and artificial intelligence. This ensures that human personnel remain responsible for deployed technologies and retain the ability to intervene, disengage, or deactivate systems that show unintended or illegal behavior.
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Rigorous Testing and Reviews: Under section 2(c)(2) and section 2(f), autonomous weapon systems and artificial intelligence capabilities must undergo strict reviews, verifications, and testing for safety, cybersecurity, and legal compliance before they can be developed or fielded. This helps prevent malfunctions and reduces the risk of harm to noncombatants and Department personnel.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Potential Delays in National Defense: Under section 2(c)(2), the requirement for extensive reviews, legal checks, verifications, and testing before systems enter prototyping or are fielded could slow down the acquisition of new defense technologies. This might place a burden on the Department of Defense when trying to rapidly deploy capabilities during real-world conflicts, although a temporary waiver exists under section 2(c)(6) for compelling national interests.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Privacy Rights+7Improves Government Transparency+4
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy+6
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+5Increases Domestic Surveillance-5
- 6/8/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John ReedDemocrat · Rhode Island