As breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and related technologies gallop forward at what feels like a frenzied pace, lawmakers in Congress and officials from a wide range of federal regulatory agencies are increasingly focused on enacting policies governing these disruptive innovations – seeking to seize the initiative while often being forced to play catch-up.

President Trump announced the American AI Initiative, “a concerted effort to promote and protect national AI technology and innovation,” and in February of this year signed an executive order, “Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” As federal agencies develop policies to address the growing role of AI and related technologies on issues and programs under their jurisdiction, the Administration has projected nearly $1 billion in additional non-defense R&D investment in networking and IT, according to a supplement to the president’s FY 2020 budget request issued in September, although it is unclear how much of this supplemental investment is new spending. Read more.