Artificial Intelligence Public Awareness and Education Campaign Act
- Bill Number
- S. 1699
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-05-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-18T17:27:48Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation aims to increase public understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) by requiring the Secretary of Commerce to launch a national campaign. This campaign focuses on educating people about AI's role in everyday life, its benefits (like improved productivity), risks (such as scams or privacy issues), and how to make informed decisions about AI-related products and services.
Key Provisions
- Establishment of the Campaign: Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary of Commerce must create the "AI Campaign" in coordination with agencies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The campaign will highlight AI's prevalence in daily activities and boost "AI consumer literacy," defined as understanding AI's strengths, weaknesses, and how to evaluate AI-based products for responsible use.
- Performance Measurement: The Secretary must define "key performance indicators" (measurable goals, like audience reach or engagement) to track success, gather baseline data, and evaluate the campaign annually.
- Core Content and Outreach:
- Provide information on legal rights related to AI.
- Promote tools and best practices for detecting AI-generated or altered media, such as "deepfakes" (realistic fake videos or audio) and chatbot outputs, including guidance for vulnerable groups like seniors to avoid AI-enabled fraud.
- Develop and distribute educational materials covering:
- Common AI uses (e.g., recommendations, voice assistants, fraud detection).
- Benefits like productivity tools (e.g., real-time navigation or text predictions).
- Limitations and questions to ask AI providers.
- AI in specific areas like finance, health, communication, and business.
- Data protection tips and job opportunities in AI, including federal and educational roles.
- Tailor content for small businesses (in consultation with the Small Business Administration) and diverse regions or groups.
- Coordinate with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, nonprofits, and private companies.
- Updates and Dissemination:
- Update materials yearly to reflect new AI developments or concerns.
- Make materials available in multiple languages (using machine translation if needed), via a mobile-friendly website, and through TV, radio, internet ads, and SBA partners (e.g., small business centers).
- Optionally partner with qualified private or nonprofit groups for distribution.
- Consultation: The Secretary must seek input from experts in academia, industry (AI developers and users), community organizations, governments, and officials from agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Department of Education, and NSF.
- Reporting and Duration: Submit annual reports to Senate and House committees on progress, materials, recommendations, and performance data. The campaign ends (sunsets) after 5 years. No new funding is authorized; it uses existing resources.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces entirely new requirements, as no prior federal law mandates a comprehensive public education campaign on AI literacy led by the Department of Commerce. It builds on the definition of AI from the 2020 National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act but adds specific duties for awareness, without altering existing regulations on AI development or use.
Potential Impacts
- On Citizens: Empowers individuals, especially consumers, small business owners, seniors, and underserved groups, with knowledge to navigate AI safely, reducing risks like fraud while highlighting benefits like job opportunities and productivity tools. It could foster broader AI adoption and informed decision-making in daily life, such as using apps or financial services.
- On Government Agencies: Places the Department of Commerce in a lead role for coordination, requiring collaboration with multiple agencies (e.g., NIST, NTIA, SBA) and annual reporting to Congress. State and local governments may see increased partnership opportunities. No new budget means agencies must reprioritize existing funds, potentially straining resources.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as the focus is domestic education. However, promoting U.S. AI literacy could indirectly support global competitiveness by building a more AI-savvy workforce, without addressing international AI standards or trade.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- General Public and Consumers: Primary beneficiaries through education on AI prevalence, risks, and best practices.
- Vulnerable Populations: Seniors and those prone to scams, targeted for anti-fraud outreach.
- Small Business Owners: Receive tailored guidance via SBA partnerships to integrate AI effectively.
- Industry and Developers: Consulted for input; may benefit from a more literate customer base but face indirect pressure to disclose AI use in products.
- Educators and Workforce: Highlighted for AI-related job training in federal, educational, and private sectors.
- Government Entities: Federal agencies (Commerce, NIST, etc.) handle implementation; state/local/tribal governments and nonprofits partner on outreach.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes non-regulatory education as a federal priority, emphasizing voluntary best practices and rights awareness without creating new enforcement powers or penalties. Relies on existing AI definitions, avoiding conflicts with broader tech laws. The no-funding clause ensures fiscal restraint but could limit scope if resources are insufficient.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's commerce clause authority over interstate technology and education promotion, without infringing on free speech (focuses on information dissemination, not content control).
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Sens. Young, Schatz, Rounds, Kelly) signals consensus on AI literacy as a neutral issue. The 5-year sunset allows evaluation before permanence, potentially setting a model for future AI policies amid rapid tech evolution. It promotes equity by addressing subpopulations but avoids divisive topics like AI ethics or bias regulation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (5)
Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI], Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD], Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ], Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE], Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Recent Actions
- 2025-05-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2025-05-08: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Artificial Intelligence Public Awareness and Education Campaign Act — issued 2025-05-08 — PDF (11 pages)