This bill asks the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a standardized template and guidelines for documenting artificial intelligence models. Think of it like creating a universal instruction manual or fact sheet that anyone using an AI system—whether in government or private companies—can fill out to explain what their AI does and how it works.

The template would include basic information like the AI model's name, who created it, when it was released, what languages it supports, and what data it was trained on. The key feature is that it's flexible—organizations can use the whole template or just the parts that apply to their specific situation, whether they're in healthcare, finance, or another industry. NIST will work with tech companies, universities, nonprofits, and other government agencies to make sure the template actually works in the real world and reflects industry best practices.

Before finalizing anything, NIST must publish a draft version and let the public comment on it for at least 60 days. Within a year, NIST has to report back to Congress on whether this pilot program is working and, if it is, propose a permanent plan to keep it going. The goal is to make AI systems more transparent and understandable to the people using them.

READ AI Models Act

McBride, Sarah

Resources for Evaluating and Documenting AI Models or the READ AI Models ActThis bill requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop a customizable template for information to accompany artificial intelligence (AI) models.Specifically, NIST must initiate a pilot program to establish a structured template that may be used to document information about an artificial intelligence model and any associated data, such as the model’s name, the developer, and the cutoff date for the model’s training data. The template must be modular to enable users to adopt and complete various sections to suit their needs and intended audience. NIST must also provide technical guidelines to accompany the template that incorporate consensus-based standards and industry best practices, as appropriate.In developing these materials, NIST must collaborate with and conduct periodic outreach to various stakeholders, including private sector entities, international standards organizations, and institutions of higher education.NIST must publish and solicit public comment on a draft of the template and guidelines. Within 12 months of the start of the pilot program, NIST must publish the finished products and report to Congress with an assessment of the program.