Gardner seeks to establish Artificial Intelligence Center at NOAA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would gain a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center under proposed legislation offered by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO).

“Artificial intelligence has the potential to change the world for the better and increase the quality of life for people everywhere,” said Sen. Gardner, chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather. “The U.S. must continue to lead vital artificial intelligence efforts and creating an AI Center will help unify and bolster NOAA’s work related to artificial intelligence.” 

If enacted, S. 4700, which Sen. Gardner sponsored on Sept. 24, would identify several goals for the AI Center, including to coordinate AI-related scientific and technological efforts across NOAA and to transition AI research and applications to operations, according to a bill summary provided by the senator’s office.  

In Sen. Gardner’s home state of Colorado, NOAA currently has several assets and activities, including the Space Weather Prediction Center, the Earth System Research Laboratory, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University.

The bill is based on a provision included in the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, H.R. 6395, led by U.S. Reps. Conor Lamb (D-PA) and Mike Garcia (R-CA). The bill is under consideration in the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.