Artificial Intelligence: CRS Products

April 14, 2026 (R48909)
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Contents

Summary

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies—including machine learning, generative AI (GenAI), and facial recognition—are demonstrating potential benefits across a variety of sectors of the U.S. economy. At the same time, the rapid innovation in and proliferation of AI tools have generated concern over their potential disruptive effects, such as generation and dissemination of misinformation, potential shifts in jobs and employment opportunities, and social, ethical, and security risks. Over the past few Congresses, Members have considered a variety of policies and legislation associated with AI technologies and their applications. With interest in AI remaining high, Congress may continue to engage in AI policymaking.

To support Congress, CRS has assembled a list of policy experts and legal points of contact who can assist with issues related to AI. The contact list is available in CRS Report R48262, Artificial Intelligence: CRS Experts and Points of Contact, coordinated by Laurie Harris. Additional written and audiovisual CRS products on AI-related policy and legal issues, legislation, and executive branch actions are presented here, in the following categories:

  • AI Overview: Technology and Regulationproducts that provide background information on AI in general, including a taxonomy of AI terminology, cross-sector issues, and topics related to AI regulation and governance.
  • Generative AI—products that focus on the subset of GenAI technologies; GenAI refers to AI models trained on large volumes of data that are able to generate new content, such as text, images, videos, computer code, or music.
  • AI and Biological Sciencesproducts that cover the intersection of AI and the biological sciences, including engineering biology and biological design, as well as aspects of laboratory automation and design.
  • AI and Defenseproducts that cover the intersection of AI and the defense sector, including emerging technologies used by the military.
  • AI, Economics, and Laborproducts that cover AI's effect on the economy and labor.
  • AI and Electionsproducts that cover the intersection of AI and campaign finance policies and laws, including AI use in election campaign advertising.
  • Facial Recognition and Biometric Technologiesproducts that cover facial recognition and biometric technologies, including applications for their use and examples of use by federal agencies.
  • AI and Financeproducts that cover the use of algorithms and AI technologies to provide financial services.
  • AI and Health Careproducts that cover applications of AI use that are relevant to health care and selected U.S. Department of Health and Human Services AI-related activities.
  • AI and Infrastructure—products that cover AI infrastructure, including data centers, semiconductors, and cloud computing infrastructure for AI development and AI-enabled services.
  • AI and Patentsproducts that cover the intersection of AI and patents, including patent-eligible subject matter reform and issues about AI patentability, such as whether inventions made using AI are patentable or inventions about AI are patentable.
  • AI and Right of Publicity—products that cover issues related to AI and the protection of "right of publicity," often defined as a legal right to prevent unauthorized commercial uses of a person's name, image, likeness, or voice.


Selected Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Focused CRS Products

This report lists a selection of written and audiovisual CRS products that focus primarily on AI-related policy and legal issues, legislation, and executive branch actions. (Additional CRS products that reference or include brief discussions of—but are not focused on—AI are not included but may be found on crs.gov.) The products shown here are grouped by common themes and organized chronologically by date of publication. This list is current as of the date of this report.

AI Overview: Technology and Regulation

CRS Video WVB00841, Current Issues in Artificial Intelligence, AI Regulation, and Considerations for Congress, by Laurie Harris et al.

CRS Report R48555, Regulating Artificial Intelligence: U.S. and International Approaches and Considerations for Congress, by Laurie Harris

CRS Video WVB00794, Science and Technology Q&A: Federal AI Legislative and Policy Update, by Laurie Harris and Katherine Segarra (or, in podcast form, CRS Report WPD00153, Science and Technology Q&A: Federal AI Legislative and Policy Update, by Laurie Harris and Katherine Segarra)

CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11314, The TAKE IT DOWN Act: A Federal Law Prohibiting the Nonconsensual Publication of Intimate Images, by Victoria L. Killion

CRS Infographic IG10077, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Taxonomy, by Laurie Harris and Nora Wells

CRS Video WVB00708, Disruptive Technology Series: Internet Policy in the Artificial Intelligence Era, by Ling Zhu

Generative AI

CRS In Focus IF13051, DeepSeek and the Race to Develop Artificial Intelligence, by Laurie Harris

CRS Video WVB00839, Science & Technology Q&A: Competition and Generative AI, by Clare Y. Cho and Laurie Harris (or, in podcast form, CRS Report WPD00178, Science & Technology Q&A: Competition and Generative AI, by Clare Y. Cho and Laurie Harris)

CRS In Focus IF12968, Competition and Antitrust Concerns Related to Generative AI, by Clare Y. Cho, Laurie Harris, and Ling Zhu

CRS In Focus IF12426, Generative Artificial Intelligence: Overview, Issues, and Considerations for Congress, by Laurie Harris

CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10922, Generative Artificial Intelligence and Copyright Law, by Christopher T. Zirpoli

CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11097, Section 230 Immunity and Generative Artificial Intelligence, by Peter J. Benson and Valerie C. Brannon

CRS Report R47569, Generative Artificial Intelligence and Data Privacy: A Primer, by Ling Zhu and Laurie Harris

AI and Biological Sciences

CRS Insight IN12546, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology: Final Report and Options for Congress, by Todd Kuiken

CRS Video WVB00642, Science and Technology Q&A: Artificial Intelligence in the Biological Sciences, by Todd Kuiken and Jason A. Gallo (or, in podcast form, CRS Report WPD00077, Science and Technology Podcast: Artificial Intelligence in the Biological Sciences, by Todd Kuiken and Jason A. Gallo)

CRS Report R47849, Artificial Intelligence in the Biological Sciences: Uses, Safety, Security, and Oversight, by Todd Kuiken

AI and Defense

CRS In Focus IF11150, Defense Primer: U.S. Policy on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, by Kelley M. Sayler

CRS Insight IN12669, Pentagon-Anthropic Dispute over Autonomous Weapon Systems: Potential Issues for Congress, by Kelley M. Sayler

CRS In Focus IF13151, Agentic Artificial Intelligence and Cyberattacks, by Catherine A. Theohary and Kelley M. Sayler

CRS In Focus IF11105, Defense Primer: Emerging Technologies, by Kelley M. Sayler

CRS Insight IN12615, Realignment of DOD's Chief Digital and AI Officer (CDAO), by Kelley M. Sayler

CRS In Focus IF11294, International Discussions Concerning Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, by Kelley M. Sayler

CRS Report R46458, Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress, by Kelley M. Sayler

AI, Economics, and Labor

CRS In Focus IF13182, The Impact of Generative AI on Labor Markets: Frameworks, by Elizabeth Weber Handwerker

CRS Insight IN12537, Case Studies of How Generative Artificial Intelligence is Changing Work, by Elizabeth Weber Handwerker

CRS In Focus IF12762, The Macroeconomic Effects of Artificial Intelligence, by Lida R. Weinstock and Paul Tierno

AI and Elections

CRS Insight IN12222, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments, by R. Sam Garrett

CRS In Focus IF12468, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Federal Election Campaigns: Legal Background and Constitutional Considerations for Legislation, by L. Paige Whitaker

Facial Recognition and Biometric Technologies

CRS In Focus IF11783, Biometric Technologies and Global Security, by Kelley M. Sayler

CRS Video WVB00328, Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition Technology, by Kristin Finklea, Laurie Harris, and Kelsey Y. Santamaria

CRS Report R46586, Federal Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition Technology, coordinated by Kristin Finklea

AI and Finance

CRS In Focus IF13103, Artificial Intelligence in Capital Markets: Policy Issues, by Eva Su and Ling Zhu

CRS In Focus IF13072, Artificial Intelligence and Derivatives Markets: Policy Issues, by Rena S. Miller

CRS Video WVB00681, Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services, by Paul Tierno

CRS Report R47997, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Financial Services, by Paul Tierno

AI and Health Care

CRS Insight IN12657, FDA Oversight of General Wellness Products, by Amanda K. Sarata

CRS In Focus IF13135, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health Care: Recent Federal Activity, by Nora Wells

CRS In Focus IF12352, Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC), by Nora Wells

CRS Report R48319, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health Care, coordinated by Nora Wells

AI Infrastructure

CRS Report R48646, Data Centers and Their Energy Consumption: Frequently Asked Questions, by Martin C. Offutt, Ling Zhu, and Ashley J. Lawson

CRS Report R48762, Data Center Energy Infrastructure: Federal Permit Requirements, by Paul W. Parfomak et al.

CRS In Focus IF12899, Data Centers and Cloud Computing: Information Technology Infrastructure for Artificial Intelligence, by Ling Zhu

AI and Patents

CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11251, Artificial Intelligence and Patent Law, by Kevin J. Hickey and Christopher T. Zirpoli

CRS Report R45918, Patent-Eligible Subject Matter Reform: Background and Issues for Congress, by Kevin J. Hickey

AI and Right of Publicity

CRS Video WVB00696, The Right of Publicity and Artificial Intelligence, by Victoria L. Killion and Christopher T. Zirpoli

CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11052, Artificial Intelligence Prompts Renewed Consideration of a Federal Right of Publicity, by Christopher T. Zirpoli