H.R. 9439: Voluntary Consumer AI Disclosure Pilot Act

This bill would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a pilot program focused on how private companies can voluntarily disclose when artificial intelligence is involved in content or interactions that users see.

What NIST would have to do

• Within 1 year of enactment, NIST would set up a pilot program to study voluntary ways to label or disclose AI-generated or AI-altered content.
• The program would look at how a company could tell users:
  • when content was generated by an AI system, and
  • when a user is having a direct, real-time interaction with an AI system.
• The pilot program would be informed by existing consumer labeling programs, meaning NIST would look at similar approaches already used in other industries.
• Based on what it learns, NIST would develop guidelines, best practices, and voluntary standards for these kinds of AI disclosures.
• After the pilot program is finished, NIST would have 180 days to send Congress a report describing:
  • how feasible these disclosure methods are,
  • how useful they are,
  • what their limitations are, and
  • any recommendations for further action by Congress or federal agencies.

Who NIST would consult

NIST would have to consult with relevant federal agencies and seek input from:

• private-sector companies of different sizes,
• civil society groups, and
• academics.

What counts as AI and related terms

• Artificial intelligence would mean the same thing it means under existing federal law.
• An artificial intelligence system would include a data system, software, hardware, app, tool, service, or utility that operates partly or fully using AI.
• Content provenance means the history and origin of digital content.

Bottom line

The bill does not itself require companies to label AI content. Instead, it launches a federal study and pilot program to test voluntary disclosure methods and produce recommendations for possible future standards or rules.

Relevant Companies

• None found