U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) on March 2 introduced the NSF AI Education Act, bipartisan legislation that would expand scholarship and professional development opportunities in artificial intelligence through the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“As the capabilities of AI increase, we must make certain the next generation can utilize its full potential, supporting a strong economy, building thriving communities and maintaining America’s global leadership,” said Sen. Moran.
The bill would authorize NSF to award undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students studying AI, with a focus on its application in agriculture, education, and advanced manufacturing. It would also establish a minimum of five Centers of AI Excellence at community colleges and vocational schools nationwide and set an NSF Grand Challenge goal of educating one million or more U.S. workers on AI by 2030.
Sen. Moran introduced the legislation. S. 3957, with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
“Demand for AI expertise is already high and will continue to grow, and we must meet that demand if we are to out-compete China and make the American AI tech stack the global standard,” she said.
Additional provisions of the bill would authorize the USDA, in collaboration with NSF, to provide grants for AI research and agriculture training through land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension Service, and direct NSF to lead research on the use of AI in the classroom.