U.S. Senate S.4441 "CREATE AI Act" — codifying the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) to democratize compute

S.4441, the "CREATE AI Act" (Creating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence Act), was introduced by Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) with Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) on April 29, 2026, and referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. It is a leading, strongly bipartisan bill on AI research infrastructure.

The bill amends the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401 et seq.) by adding a new "Title LVI — National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR)." The NSF Director would establish NAIRR within one year to (1) advance AI research and research that uses AI, and (2) develop AI skills in the U.S. workforce. NAIRR's function is to connect U.S. researchers and educators to computational, data, software, and educational resources provided by federal agencies, states, and nongovernmental entities. A Program Management Office would sit within the NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure.

Advanced AI research requires large-scale compute and quality data that tend to concentrate in a few large companies; NAIRR aims to close that gap and open research infrastructure to universities, startups, and regional researchers ("democratizing AI research"). A companion bill (H.R.2385) exists in the House.