The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory agency under the United States Department of Commerce. It conducts measurement science, enables standards, and operates advanced laboratories. Its annual budget is $1 billion.

Under the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020, NIST was required to develop a voluntary risk management framework to be a resource for organizations who design, develop, deploy or use AI systems. The framework is intended to help organizations manage the risks of AI, promote trustworthy and responsible development and use of AI systems while being rights-preserving and non-sector specific.