NIST director nominee commits to support AI standards-setting, manufacturing

Arvind Raman, right, nominee to be director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing in Russell building on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The nominee to lead the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Purdue University Professor Arvind Raman, told lawmakers at a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on Thursday that he is committed to advancing the agency’s metrology development for artificial intelligence technologies. 

In committing to furthering the U.S.’s leadership in AI, Raman said he prioritized situating American AI policy and metrics as the leading global standard, a position NIST officials also emphasized during the Biden administration. 

“When America leads in setting global tech standards, it means that the rules — international rules of commerce — are literally being based on American values: free markets, private sector ...