White House, Congress Collaborating on AI Export Control Bill

The Biden administration is working with lawmakers on a bill that could give the Bureau of Industry and Security legal authority to restrict certain exports of artificial intelligence software to foreign adversaries, said Tarun Chhabra, the NSC’s senior director for technology and national security.

The bipartisan bill -- which could allow BIS to use its U.S. persons controls to restrict certain activities involving advanced AI systems, among other things -- was introduced in May and advanced by the House Foreign Affairs Committee that same month (see 2405100063 and 2405220060). Chhabra said the government has “provided technical assistance” and has been working with the bill’s authors, but he declined to say whether the White House supports it.

“As we understand it, that bill is really focused on providing authorities right now,” he said during a June 24 event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. “But it's one that we're in ongoing discussion about with folks on the Hill.”