Artificial Intelligence Policy and Literacy Work
Kiri Wagstaff

Consumers LEARN AI Act (S. 4838, H.R. 9673, S. 1699)

While serving as a AAAS Fellow in Senator Mark Kelly's office from 2023-2024, I worked with an excellent team to research, draft, and build support (in the Senate, House, and externally) for the Consumers LEARN AI Act, a bill to promote consumer AI literacy.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly integrated into everyday products and services, from virtual assistants to personalized healthcare solutions, but despite its growing presence, many consumers lack a comprehensive understanding of AI and its implications. The Consumers LEARN AI Act seeks to bridge this gap by creating a national literacy strategy, providing specific AI use case guidance, and conducting a national media campaign to help consumers to make informed decisions.

• Consumers LEARN AI Act, S. 4838, led by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), introduced on July 30, 2024 in the 118th Congress (Press release)

Productive conversations with the House led to the introduction of a companion bill:

• House companion bill, H.R. 9673, led by Representatives Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-at large) and Marcus J. Molinaro (R-NY-19), introduced on Sept. 19, 2024 in the 118th Congress

In the 119th Congress, a new bill aimed at the same goals combined the strengths of the 118th Congress's S. 4838 and S. 4596 bills. It was introduced by the four Senators who led the original bills.

• Artificial Intelligence Public Awareness and Education Campaign Act, S. 1699, led by Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Responses to federal Requests for Information

• My response to the OSTP's request for information to guide the development of a federal AI Action Plan (March 2025)
• The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)'s response to the OSTP's request for information to guide the development of a federal AI Action Plan (March 2025); I helped compose this document as a member of the AAAI U.S. Policy Committee

Talks on AI policy and AI literacy

• Elevating Artificial Intelligence Literacy in the Classroom, NWeLearn featured speaker, October 2025.
• Making Savvy Decisions about Artificial Intelligence in Education, Oregon K-12 teacher in-service day, October 2025. (slides (PDF))
• Elevating Artificial Intelligence Literacy for All, Linköping University, Sweden, September 2025. (slides (PDF))
• Understanding Artificial Intelligence, Newport Public Library, August 2025. (slides (PDF))
• What I Learned as an AI Advisor in the U.S. Congress, AI Policy Summer School, Brown University, July 2025. (slides (PDF))
• What do we need to know about artificial intelligence?, Oregon State University's Critical AI Literacy Series, June 2025. (slides (PDF))
• The State of AI and Questions We All Should be Asking, Oregon State University's AI Week keynote, April 2025. (slides (PDF))
• What I Learned as an AI Advisor in the U.S. Congress, University Legislative Scholars Program, Oregon State University, April 2025.
• What Do We Need to Know about Machine Learning and AI?, Mennonite Village retirement community, Oregon, March 2025.
• What I Learned Serving as an AI Expert in the U.S. Congress, Oregon State University Artificial Intelligence Seminar, October 2024.
• U.S. AI Legislative Questions, Panel at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Conference, February 2024.
• AI and Science Policy Advice, Panel at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, February 2024.