NIST provides scientific and technical expertise and contributions to national and international discussions on AI governance. NIST plays a key role as a neutral convener of organizations and individuals with disparate views about AI matters. The agency’s active participation in national and international discussions helps to shape the development of effective and reliable AI and ground AI governance in technical realities.
NIST is engaged with U.S. and international AI governance efforts such as the OECD, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, and a host of bilateral initiatives in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. NIST partners with other agencies including the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the U.S. Department of State on many of these efforts.
Examples of NIST contributions to a more robust shared understanding of AI risk management include the U.S. and EU’s release of a second edition of their joint AI terminology and taxonomy document In April 2024. The document organizes and defines 78 key AI-related terms. The joint terminology and taxonomy document was produced by U.S. and EU AI experts, led by NIST from the U.S. side, with input from public comments.
NIST leads and participates in several federal AI efforts and engages with many other federal offices and interagency groups. This includes: