United States of America: Adopted NTIA Report on Dual-Use Foundation Models with Widely Available Model Weights

On 30 July 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) adopted the Report on Dual-Use Foundation Models with Widely Available Model Weights. The Report addresses Artificial Intelligence (AI) developers and stakeholders, covering the spectrum of AI activities involving open model weights, and is the result of an inquiry covered by the NTIA on the subject. The Report outlines sets out the benefits and risks of open foundation models. On the basis of this information, the NTIA suggests a number of government actions, such as evidence collection, including by encouraging standards and transparency, supporting research, and developing risk portfolios; evidence evaluation, by assessing the lag time between proprietary and open models, and bolstering federal expertise; and actions such as implementing model access restrictions or other risk mitigation measures if needed.