Congress Must Pass the AI Whistleblower Protection Act

# The Urgent Case for the AI Whistleblower Protections: Congress Must Pass the AI Whistleblower Protection Act

### **Published on September 19, 2025**

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**Congress must pass the AI Whistleblower Protection Act,** a best-practices whistleblower bill that specifically addresses AI employees.

Without information from whistleblowers, the U.S. government’s ability to police and regulate this newly developing technology is curtailed, risking an increase in the technology’s risks to public health, safety, national security, and other concerns. Insiders must be able to disclose potential violations safely, freely, and appropriately to law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

Like powerful developing sectors preceding it, insiders in the Artificial Intelligence industry do not have explicit access to safeguards for reporting until legislation is passed, as the misconduct they seek to report may not be considered illegal under existing law. At present, the regulation of AI is far behind technological advancement.

## What is the AI Whistleblower Protection Act?

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan [AI Whistleblower Protection Act (AIWPA) in May 2025](https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ai_whistleblower_protection_act.pdf) to protect individuals who disclose information regarding potential artificial intelligence security vulnerabilities or violations.

This bill comes at a critical moment – with a wave of deregulation potentially coming at the state and federal levels, whistleblower protections may become even more crucial in holding the AI industry accountable.

Covered disclosures outlined in the bill are “AI security vulnerability” and “AI violation.”

- The term “AI security vulnerability” refers to any security breach or vulnerability that could enable the unauthorized acquisition of the technology being developed at a company by individuals or foreign entities through theft or other illicit means.
- The term “AI violation” in the bill means any breach of federal law occurring during or related to the development, deployment, or use of artificial intelligence, or any inadequate response to a concrete and specific risk that the development, deployment, or use of artificial intelligence may pose to public safety, public health, or national security.

The bill provides coverage for information brought forward regarding an AI security vulnerability or violation, and includes any conduct that the covered individual reasonably believes to constitute an AI security vulnerability or AI violation.

All whistleblower retaliation laws include this precedent, where the whistleblower is not required to prove the reported violation as long as they believe in good faith that what is occurring could result in vulnerabilities or violations of law.

The scope of who a disclosure can be made to under the anti-retaliation protections is broad. Whistleblowers are permitted to report to most federal

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