AI Grand Challenges Act of 2024
Latest action (1 May 2024): Introduced
What this bill does
S. 4236, the AI Grand Challenges Act of 2024, would direct the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish, within 12 months of enactment, a prize competition program called the "AI Grand Challenges Program." Working with other federal science and technology officials, the Director would identify specific, measurable challenges in areas such as national security, health, energy, cybersecurity, agriculture, education, manufacturing, and AI safety and transparency, and award cash or non-cash prizes—generally at least $1,000,000 per winner—to participants who develop AI-based solutions. The bill separately requires a dedicated competition, with prizes of at least $10,000,000 per winner, aimed at AI-driven breakthroughs against lethal cancers.
The program would affect researchers, companies, and organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit) that develop AI technologies, since it creates new government-sponsored incentives and funding opportunities for them. Individual and private-entity participants would generally need to be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or U.S.-based businesses. Federal agencies such as NSF, NIST, DARPA, and NIH would coordinate on selecting challenges, and the public could provide input. Results and program details would be reported to Congress and posted publicly, including on Challenge.gov.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on May 1, 2024, by Sen. Cory Booker with two cosponsors, and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It has not received a vote and, per its status, did not advance further in the 118th Congress.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
This bill was introduced on May 1, 2024, in a previous session of Congress, but it did not receive a vote.
Common questions
- What does S. 4236 do?
- S. 4236, the AI Grand Challenges Act of 2024, would direct the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish, within 12 months of enactment, a prize competition program called the "AI Grand Challenges Program." Working with other federal science and technology officials, the Director would identify specific, measurable challenges in areas such as national security, health, energy, cybersecurity, agriculture, education, manufacturing, and AI safety and transparency, and award cash or non-cash prizes—generally at least $1,000,000 per winner—to participants who develop AI-based solutions. The bill separately requires a dedicated competition, with prizes of at least $10,000,000 per winner, aimed at AI-driven breakthroughs against lethal cancers. The program would affect researchers, companies, and organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit) that develop AI technologies, since it creates new government-sponsored incentives and funding opportunities for them. Individual and private-entity participants would generally need to be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or U.S.-based businesses. Federal agencies such as NSF, NIST, DARPA, and NIH would coordinate on selecting challenges, and the public could provide input. Results and program details would be reported to Congress and posted publicly, including on Challenge.gov. The bill was introduced in the Senate on May 1, 2024, by Sen. Cory Booker with two cosponsors, and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It has not received a vote and, per its status, did not advance further in the 118th Congress.
- Has S. 4236 become law?
- Not yet. As of 1 May 2024, S. 4236 is introduced.
- Who sponsored S. 4236?
- S. 4236 was sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ] (Democrat-NJ), with 2 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 4236?
- Introduced (1 May 2024).
Related bills in Science, Technology, Communications
Open-Source AI Leadership Act
AI for Secure Networks Act
Memory Chip Competitiveness Assessment Act of 2026
ITS Codification Act
Bill100 mirrors the public U.S. legislative record from Congress.gov and GovTrack and adds plain-English AI summaries. It is an information tool, not legal, compliance or lobbying advice, and it is not affiliated with the U.S. Congress or any government agency. AI summaries can simplify or omit detail — every bill links to the official source; verify there before you rely on it.