Today, Congressman Troy Downing’s (MT-02) H.R. 5784, the AI-WISE Act, was reported favorably out of the House Committee on Small Business with bipartisan support, taking a critical step toward becoming law. The bill, sponsored by Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03), is now eligible for consideration before the full House of Representatives.
“Small businesses in central and eastern Montana often lack the resources and information needed to facilitate technology adoption,” said Congressman Downing. “My AI-WISE Act will help Main Street Montana stay competitive and thrive in the AI era. I’m proud to be leading this legislation with Congresswoman Scholten and look forward to getting it across the finish line.”
Read bill text of H.R. 5784 here.
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Click here or on the image above to watch Congressman Downing’s remarks in support of H.R. 5784. Statements of Support: OpenAI “OpenAI also strongly supports H.R. 5784, the Artificial Intelligence Wisdom for Innovative Small Enterprises (AI WISE) Act. This bill would require the Small Business Administration to develop and maintain clear educational resources and online learning modules that explain how AI tools work, their limitations and risks, how to identify AI-generated outputs, and how to stay current as this technology rapidly evolves. We are encouraged that the bill directs SBA to consult with NIST and an expert advisory working group, to engage resource partners such as SBDCs and Women’s Business Centers, and to ensure that materials are actionable, accessible, and model neutral rather than favoring any one AI provider. We thank Representatives Troy Downing and Hillary Scholten for recognizing that improving AI literacy is essential if small businesses are to harness AI’s benefits while avoiding its pitfalls.”
Intuit “We write today to express our support of H.R. 5784, the Artificial Intelligence Wisdom for Innovative Small Enterprises Act or the ‘AI-WISE Act’. “Intuit's mission is to power prosperity around the world and we believe that artificial intelligence (AI) represents the most transformative technology of our generation, offering unparalleled opportunities for small businesses to save time, increase productivity, and achieve financial success. “However, the effective adoption of AI, especially complex ‘agentic AI’ now being integrated into financial and marketing solutions requires a foundational level of education and trust. The AI-WISE Act addresses this critical need by directing the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish high-quality, actionable, and neutral educational resources for small business concerns.”
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Background:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 1 in 4 businesses do not know whether they will or will not use AI in production during the next six months. The AI-WISE Act requires the Small Business Administration to develop AI literacy resources on its existing e-learning platform. This bill would help small business owners considering adopting AI tools to critically evaluate and assess their capabilities and help remedy any related drawbacks. Additional cosponsors of the legislation include Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02).
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