Overview
Title
To require the Election Assistance Commission to develop voluntary guidelines for the administration of elections that address the use and risks of artificial intelligence technologies, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
The bill asks a group called the Election Assistance Commission to make some helpful rules about using robots and computers, like AI, during elections. These rules will help make sure the elections are safe and fair, and that people know what's true and what's not when they vote.
Summary AI
S. 3897 requires the Election Assistance Commission to create voluntary guidelines to help manage elections using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The bill highlights addressing the risks and benefits of using AI, the potential cybersecurity threats, and the ways AI-generated information can impact the spread of accurate or false information during elections. It also mandates a study on the use of AI in the 2024 federal elections and revisions of the guidelines based on the study's findings. The bill aims to enhance public confidence and trust in the electoral process by addressing the effects of AI technologies.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
The proposed legislation, titled the "Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act," seeks to address the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the electoral process. The bill requires the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), in partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to develop and disseminate voluntary guidelines concerning the use and risks of AI in elections. In addition, it mandates a study of AI's impact on the 2024 federal elections, with a deadline for reporting by November 2025, after which the guidelines are expected to be reviewed and updated based on the study's findings.
General Summary of the Bill
The bill aims to ensure that election offices across the United States are better prepared to manage the complexities introduced by AI technologies. It seeks to guide how AI can be used responsibly and safely in election administration while highlighting its potential benefits and addressing substantial risks, such as cybersecurity threats and misinformation dissemination.
Summary of Significant Issues
Several issues arise from the drafting of this bill, primarily involving timelines, budget concerns, and the nature of the guidelines:
Ambitious Timelines: The 60-day period stipulated for creating and issuing initial guidelines appears overly ambitious. This constraint may pressure the EAC and NIST to produce hastily developed guidelines, potentially compromising their quality.
Budget and Resources: The bill does not specify budgetary allocations for the tasks it mandates. This absence could lead to financial inefficiency and raises concerns about how the necessary work will be funded.
Voluntary Nature of Guidelines: By designating these guidelines as voluntary, the bill risks inconsistent adoption across different jurisdictions, possibly affecting nationwide election uniformity and the effectiveness of mitigating AI-related risks.
Regular Updates and Accessibility: The bill lacks a mechanism for regular updates to the guidelines, which could render them obsolete in the fast-evolving field of AI. Furthermore, the bill does not clearly delineate measures to ensure the public accessibility of these guidelines once developed.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
For the general public, this bill represents a crucial step towards safeguarding elections from potential AI-related threats, thus aiming to protect the integrity of democratic processes. If carried out effectively, it can help ensure that the dissemination of misinformation through AI is identified and addressed promptly, bolstering public trust in electoral outcomes.
Election Administrators: These stakeholders may benefit from well-crafted guidelines that help prepare them for AI technologies' challenges and opportunities. However, they may simultaneously face difficulties in implementing such guidelines without the allocation of specific resources and support, which are not clearly outlined in the bill.
Technology Developers and AI Experts: This group might see both opportunities and constraints. While they could play a key role in shaping secure and efficient electoral processes, any regulatory outcomes might impose new obligations or limitations on the deployment of AI technologies in elections.
Conclusion
While the "Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act" aims at equipping election officials to handle the complexities of AI, careful consideration and adjustment of its provisions are crucial for effective implementation. Addressing the highlighted issues, such as budget specifications, guideline enforcement, and schedule adjustments, would be essential to maximize the bill's positive impact on election integrity and public confidence. With these fixes, the bill could represent a balanced approach to adapting the democratic process to meet the challenges posed by advancing AI technologies.
Issues
The section dealing with the voluntary guidelines for election administration (Section 2) does not specify any budget or spending limits, raising concerns about the potential for open-ended or wasteful spending in the development and dissemination of these guidelines.
The 60-day deadline for the Election Assistance Commission to submit a report and issue guidelines (Section 2) is very stringent, which may result in rushed and potentially inadequate guidelines.
Section 2 lacks specificity regarding the resources and support that will be available to State and local election offices to effectively implement the guidelines, creating uncertainty in terms of readiness and consistency across jurisdictions.
The 'voluntary guidelines' terminology in Section 2 might lead to inconsistent adoption and implementation across different jurisdictions, potentially affecting the uniformity of standards in election administration.
The absence of regular review or update mechanisms in Section 2 for the guidelines means there is no clear process to keep them current with advancements in artificial intelligence technologies and emerging threats.
The report and guidelines produced as per Section 2 must be publicly available, but it's unclear how accessibility and dissemination across platforms will be ensured for maximum public reach.
Section 3 does not specify a budget or cost estimate for conducting the study on AI technologies used in 2024 elections, which could lead to financial inefficiencies if not properly managed.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the Act states its short title, which is “Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act”.
2. Voluntary guidelines for administration of elections that address the use and risks of artificial intelligence technologies Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines that the Election Assistance Commission, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, must produce a report with voluntary guidelines within 60 days of the Act's enactment. These guidelines are intended for election offices and focus on the use and risks of artificial intelligence in elections, covering topics such as potential risks and benefits, cybersecurity threats, the impact on spreading accurate information, and the dangers of spreading disinformation that could undermine public trust.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section states that this Act is formally called the “Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act.”
2. Voluntary guidelines for administration of elections that address the use and risks of artificial intelligence technologies Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines that within 60 days of the law's enactment, the Election Assistance Commission, with help from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, must release a report with voluntary guidelines for using artificial intelligence in elections. These guidelines will cover the advantages and risks of AI in election work, cybersecurity concerns, and how AI can influence both the sharing of accurate election information and the spread of false information that could damage public trust in elections.
3. Study on use of artificial intelligence technologies in the 2024 elections Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The Election Assistance Commission, with help from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, will research and report on how artificial intelligence was used in the 2024 elections by November 2025. They will also update existing guidelines based on the findings of this study.