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119-s-2381119th Congress

PROACTIV Artificial Intelligence Data Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Cornyn, John [R-TX]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a voluntary NIST-led framework to detect, remove, and report child pornography in datasets used to train AI systems. It would also offer limited liability protection for AI developers and data collectors who follow the framework and fund NSF research into better detection and removal methods.

Show full summary
  • Families and children: Aims to reduce the presence of child pornography in AI training datasets by giving developers and data collectors clear methods to find and remove such material.
  • AI developers and data collectors: Would get guidelines, best practices, and a liability shield for actions done under the framework, while still facing civil exposure for intentional misconduct, actual malice, gross negligence, reckless disregard, or violations of 18 U.S.C. 2251.
  • Law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: Would receive required reports when child pornography is detected in covered datasets.
  • Researchers and NSF: The National Science Foundation would support research into new techniques for detecting, removing, and reporting child pornography, including work through its Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships directorate.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Voluntary NIST guide for AI data

This bill would direct NIST to publish a voluntary guide within 1 year. The guide would tell AI developers and data collectors how to detect, remove, and report child pornography in training datasets. NIST would build the guide with agencies, experts, and public comment. The guide would be voluntary and would not require deployers or users to follow it.

Definitions that set who is covered

This bill would define key terms like 'AI developer', 'AI deployer', 'AI user', 'data collector', and 'covered dataset'. It would use 18 U.S.C. 2256 to define child pornography. The definitions would decide who the NIST guide and liability shield apply to, including that covered datasets were created with automated crawlers or scraping tools.

Liability shield for AI developers

If enacted, the bill would generally protect AI developers and data collectors from lawsuits when they detect, remove, or report child pornography under the NIST guide. The shield would not apply for intentional misconduct, actual malice, reckless disregard, gross negligence, or violations of 18 U.S.C. 2251. The provision would not change duties in 18 U.S.C. 2258A.

NSF research on dataset safety

This bill would direct NSF to support research on better ways to detect, remove, and report child pornography from AI training data. NSF could run work through its Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships directorate and would coordinate with other federal agencies. The funding would support research, not direct payments to households.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cornyn, John [R-TX]

TX • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 7/22/2025

  • Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 12/1/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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