Harrigan Readies AI Defense Bill, Giving NIST 180 Days to Convene Critical Infrastructure Roundtable
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Sep 14
Harrigan Readies AI Defense Bill, Giving NIST 180 Days to Convene Critical Infrastructure Roundtable
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Sep 14
Summary
Rep. Pat Harrigan plans to introduce the NIST Defensive Standards Act early next month, directing NIST to connect AI developers with operators of hospitals, water systems, banks and power grids.
Within 180 days of passage, NIST would have to convene an AI Cybersecurity Roundtable, and the group would get 1 year to publish voluntary standards for using AI in cyber defense.
The draft also tells NIST to work with AI companies on best practices against distillation attacks, which Harrigan’s office says Chinese labs use to copy leading U.S. models.
The push builds on private-sector programs such as OpenAI’s Daybreak and Anthropic’s Project Glasswing, which are expanding AI cyber tools beyond tech and finance into energy, health care and water.
House timing could slow the measure, with lawmakers leaving this week before the midterms and Congress already juggling a crowded AI agenda focused heavily on the technology’s risks.