The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last week introduced a bill that would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure that government contractors secure and protect data collected by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

The Government Ownership and Oversight of Data in Artificial Intelligence (GOOD AI) Act would require OMB to establish and consult with an Artificial Intelligence Hygiene Working Group consisting of federal experts that would develop and implement solutions to ensure government contracts for AI services require the data and systems be secure, make clear the government owns the collected information and that it is not publicly posted or sold, and protects civil rights and liberties.

Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the committee, pointed to recent incidents in which AI technology contractors have misused the data collected as part of federal contracts. The types of data that would be covered under the bill include facial recognition, they said.

“While artificial intelligence applications have the potential to strengthen our national security, we must ensure data collected by this technology is secure, used appropriately, and does not compromise the privacy and rights of Americans,” Peters said in statement.

Portman stated that “It is important that the federal government ensure that its AI systems are trustworthy and safe.”