AI Grand Challenges Act of 2024

This bill authorizes the Director of the National Science Foundation to identify grand challenges and award competitive prizes for artificial intelligence research and development. It establishes a program to stimulate AI research, development, and commercialization that solves or advances specific, well-defined, and measurable grand challenges in categories including national security, cybersecurity, health, energy, environment, transportation, agriculture, education, manufacturing, space, quantum computing, materials science, supply chain resilience, disaster preparedness, natural resources management, and cross-cutting AI challenges.

Sec. 2, Prize competitions for AI research and development: The Director, in coordination with the Interagency Committee, must establish a program called the 'AI Grand Challenges Program' within 12 months to award prizes using existing authorities. Participants in the NSF Rotator Program may support development and implementation.

Sec. 2(c), Grand challenges selection and information: The Director must consult with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, NIST, DARPA, relevant agencies, and the National AI Advisory Committee to identify grand challenges, and also seek public input. For each challenge, the Director must publish a problem statement on the NSF website linking to Challenge.gov, and establish clear targets, success metrics, and validation protocols.

Sec. 2(c)(3), Grand challenge for AI-enabled cancer breakthroughs: Within one year, the Director must establish at least one grand challenge for prize competitions to advance medical breakthroughs against one or more of the most lethal forms of cancer and related comorbidities, focusing on detection, diagnostics, treatments, or other AI innovations. The Director must award at least $10,000,000 in cash prizes to each winner.

Sec. 2(e), Requirements: The Director must develop eligibility criteria and testing, judging, and verification procedures. Private entity winners must be incorporated in and have a primary place of business in the U.S.; individual winners must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Judges may come from the private sector.

Sec. 2(f), Prize amount: The Director must award at least $1,000,000 in cash prizes to each winner (except for the cancer challenge), and may also use non-cash awards. The Director may award prizes over $50,000,000 under existing law.

Sec. 2(g), Funding: The Director may accept funds from other federal agencies, state, local, or tribal governments, for-profit entities, and nonprofits to support the program, but cannot consider such support in determining winners.

Sec. 2(h), Reports: Within 60 days of awarding a prize, the Director must report to relevant congressional committees describing the winning submission and its benefits. Biennially, the Director must report on activities, active and completed competitions, and public outreach efforts, and make the report publicly accessible on the NSF website.

Sec. 2(i), Accessibility: The Director must post active prize competitions and available awards to Challenge.gov after grand challenges are selected and competitions are designed.