NIST ‘should consider’ workforce reductions if appropriations cuts are implemented

Recent cuts to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s budget have forced the agency’s head to make “cuts to the bone”, even though staff have so far been protected. This could change if another reduction proposal is adopted.

At a House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing Wednesday, California Democrat Zoe Lofgren asked NIST Director Laurie Locascio whether a proposed 6 percent cut by Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee, would result in staff reductions.

“We’ll have to look into that, for sure. Yes, we will have to think about it,” Locascio said. “They said we were lean and mighty, and we’re proud of that – we’re lean and mighty and we’ve worked really hard to be the best value for money. …But it really hurts when we have to go into these kinds of deep cuts.

In response to NIST’s budget cuts for fiscal year 2024, Locascio said the agency was forced to “stop recruiting and filling gaps,” noting specific pauses in adding its CORE standards program, l developing new standards for electric vehicles and researching new capabilities in clinical and biological standards. .

“It really stopped momentum in several critical areas,” she said.

Despite financial uncertainties, the agency was able to advance its work on artificial intelligence. In response to questions from committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., about NIST’s progress on President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI, Locascio said the agency is “on track to comply with all” deadlines set by the EO, highlighting recent publications on synthetic content. , a draft plan for international AI standards, and a vision document for the AI ​​Safety Institute.

The AI ​​Safety Institute, which last month added five members to its leadership team, received a lot of interest from committee members during Wednesday’s hearing. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., and Gabe Amo, D-R.I., both asked Locascio how the scope of the AI ​​Safety Institute could be reduced if the group’s funding remained low.

NIST currently spends $6 million on the institute, Locascio said, but it will be “very, very difficult” to continue its work developing guidelines, evaluating models and engaging in research without funding additional.

“We are on track to meet the requirements of the executive order and support the AI ​​Safety Institute,” Locascio added. “But so much more is being asked of us and we don’t want to let the country down and we are certainly working as hard as we can to do what we can with the money we have. We can do more with more.

Rep. Val Foushee, D-N.C., meanwhile, expressed concerns about “ambiguities in the scope and direction” of the AI ​​Safety Institute, as well as whether it would focus too much on the existential threats of technology as opposed to the “concrete aspects”. the tangible harms we are facing right now.

“The AI ​​Safety Institute is going to have a very clear focus on the science of safety,” Locascio said, adding that the group “will also work with the international community and then test large language models to do testing and evaluation to to make sure they are safe to use…I can also promise you that…everything we do will be based on science.