The U.S. government said on Dec. 11 that AI vendors must measure political "bias" in their chatbot systems to sell those products to federal agencies. The requirement, outlined in a Trump administration statement, sets a new expectation for federal AI procurement. Vendors should be prepared to supply bias-assessment documentation and mitigation plans as part of contracting.
U.S. Will Require AI Vendors to Measure Political "Bias" to Sell Chatbots to Federal Agencies
FILE PHOTO: AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
WASHINGTON, Dec 11 — The U.S. government announced on Thursday that vendors of artificial intelligence will be required to assess political "bias" in their chatbot systems in order to sell those products to federal agencies. The requirement was detailed in a statement from the Trump administration and marks a new expectation for federal AI procurement.
The policy specifies that chatbot offerings put forward for federal contracts must include documented evaluations of political bias. While the statement did not provide detailed technical standards, it signals that agencies will demand demonstrable bias-assessment processes as part of procurement and compliance reviews.
Why it matters: Requiring bias measurements could affect product design, testing protocols, and vendor eligibility for government work, and may prompt broader industry adoption of standardized evaluation methods.
The announcement focuses on chatbot systems offered to the federal government and is intended to ensure that AI tools used by agencies meet standards for political neutrality and accountability. Vendors seeking to sell to federal agencies should expect to provide documentation of bias testing and mitigation strategies as part of the contracting process.
Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Chris Reese.
