House lawmakers introduce bill to help election workers prepare for AI threats

Four House lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation that would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Election Assistance Commission to jointly develop a report that would provide voluntary guidelines for election administrators on the benefits and risks posed by artificial intelligence during the election, reports CyberScoop.

The report would also discuss the cybersecurity risks of AI systems in elections and should be delivered to Congress and local and state election offices within 60 days of the legislation's enactment.

The Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act "underscores our commitment to fair and secure elections by addressing the potential risks posed by AI, including misinformation dissemination and cybersecurity threats," says Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., one of the bill's authors. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., said the bill would not only strengthen the U.S. election infrastructure, but also improve the country's defenses against bad actors such as China and Russia.

The House bill is a companion legislation to three Senate bills scheduled for markup this week.