The Wrap: House Cooking on AI; Meet us at Tech Tonic; NSF NAIRR Draws Rave Review

Welcome to The Wrap for Tuesday, February 6!

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From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in Federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:

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House Cooking on AI

Efforts on the House side of Capitol Hill are heating up to debut a formal working group later this month that will serve as the nexus of activity for legislation on artificial intelligence technologies. That was the news today from Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Marcus Molinaro, R-N.Y., who said at a Washington Post Live event the working group is likely to emerge from the informal House AI caucus formed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. “The AI caucus was primarily put together to educate the members of Congress and their staff on what AI is and how it’s developing,” Rep. Beyer said. “Kevin McCarthy, when he was still speaker, put together an informal working group – including Marcus and myself – to try to actually bring bills to the floor, to pass bills this year.” Beyer continued, “the new speaker, Mike Johnson, I believe it’s his intention to stand up this bipartisan working group to make things happen … We’re hoping that will happen this month.” Rep. Molinaro said, “It has been a year of unnecessary and unlimited distractions, and I wish that we were a bit more advanced on some of these policies.” He added, “I think the speaker accepts both the need to get the working group up and functional to move legislation, and he also understands both the potential benefits and risks of AI and establishing the basic framework.”

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NSF’s NAIRR Draws Strong Reviews

House members that are active in the AI legislative arena gave strong reviews today to the National Science Foundation (NSF) ’s?National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot?launched on Jan. 24, and said they are optimistic about the program’s ability to serve as a shared national infrastructure to support the AI research community and power responsible AI use. “The pilot program for NAIRR is wonderful,” Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said during a House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology joint subcommittee hearing today. “Obviously we are trying to codify that – we have the CREATE AI Act … to try and make that permanent and attach it to a permanent source of funding.” Tess deBlanc-Knowles –?NSF’s newly-named special assistant to the director for AI?– told House members today that “making the transition from the NAIRR pilot to a full-scale NAIRR will have incredible impacts on our academic AI research environment, as well as the ability for scientists and other domains to apply AI to achieve and accelerate breakthroughs. And I think the impact can’t be understated.” Reps. Obernolte, Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Don Beyer, D-Va., introduced the?House legislation, and Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Todd Young, R-Ind., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., introduced the?Senate legislation. “We need to be in a position where all researchers and innovators across the United States have the tools,” Rep. Eshoo said during today’s hearing, “and that’s really in essence and what the NAIRR is, and I’m so pleased to carry the legislation.”

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Meet us at Tech Tonic

Put a big circle – green would be a good seasonal color choice – around March 14 on your calendar for the MeriTalk Tech Tonic bi-monthly power networking event at Morton’s in downtown D.C. where Congressman Gerry Connolly and Federal CIOs will toast Paddy's Day. Formerly our Cyber Smoke event, Tech Tonic uses the same recipe of face time, fun, and connections that 700 government and industry execs know and love – but with a few sweet new twists. What’s in a Tech Tonic? MeriTalk’s juicing our value for CIOs and gov tech leaders. We kick off with turbo-charged Tech Tonic content in the VIP reception. We’re adding fun themes. And, we’re expanding the focus beyond cyber – to cover Hill priorities/FITARA, AI, women in tech, and, yes, cyber. So, we’ll see a broader, more diverse Fed exec crowd. Be the first to find The Wrap and we’ll make sure you’re not thirsty. Same time, same place – just Tech Tonic better.?Join?hundreds of your gov IT friends and colleagues at Morton’s The Steakhouse from 5:00-9:00 p.m. on the 14th?for the happiest hour in gov IT. VIPs at 4:00 p.m.

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OT Cyber Dangers

Top cybersecurity and critical infrastructure experts told lawmakers today at a House Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing that neither the government nor the private sector are doing enough to secure operational technology (OT) networks of critical infrastructure organizations. The scope and pace of boosting OT security for vulnerable infrastructure sectors including water and other utilities took top billing at the hearing. “Much of the current policy debate is focused on incremental change that while all positive, can only move the needle so much. Better resourcing federal agencies involved in this ecosystem helps. More collaboration and information sharing helps, but not enough,” said Charles Clancy , senior vice president and chief technology officer at MITRE . “The scale of the threat requires critical infrastructure operators to prepare and respond more like they would to a major natural disaster,” he said. Kevin M. Morley, PhD , manager of federal relations at the American Water Works Association , said that one difficulty operators face is that IT systems have cycled through upgrades at a rate that has outpaced those for OT systems. “This digital divide has stranded many utilities on legacy OT systems,” Morley said. “Funding that prioritizes and expedites technology upgrades to address legacy OT systems is necessary to overcome this digital divide.”

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Once again, let’s “call IT a day,” but we'll bring you more tomorrow. Until then please check the MeriTalk breaking news website throughout the day for the latest on government IT people, process, and policy. And finally, please hit the news tip jar [with leads, breaking news, or simply your two cents] at [email protected].