House Committee Accuses NSF of Funding AI Censorship Tools

The National Science Foundation is under scrutiny for allegedly funding projects that could suppress free speech online.

The House Judiciary Committee and Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government issued a report accusing the National Science Foundation (NSF) of funding AI-powered censorship and propaganda tools.
The NSF's projects, funded with millions of dollars, aim to combat misinformation related to COVID-19 and the 2020 election but have raised concerns about the suppression of free speech.
Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has subpoenaed the NSF for documents related to its communications with private companies and nonprofit groups over these projects.
Investigative journalists and legal experts have reported on the NSF's efforts to hide its role in funding these tools from media and political scrutiny.
Concerns were raised about the potential for AI tools to be used by social media platforms to censor content, with some researchers advocating for government officials to make content moderation decisions.