Oct. 24 (UPI) — The United States has a lead on the global development of artificial intelligence. In an effort to keep it, President Joe Biden issued a memorandum Thursday to guide AI efforts to ensure it’s trustworthy, advances U.S. security goals and works well with our international partners.
“The United States must lead the world in responsible application of AI to appropriate national security functions,” Biden said in the memorandum and compared AI to radar, GPS and nuclear propulsion.
“With each paradigm shift, they also developed new systems for tracking and countering adversaries’ attempts to wild cutting-edge technology for their own advantage,” Biden added.
He said emerging AI technology offers potentially great benefits if used properly and potentially threatens national security, bolsters authoritarianism globally, undermines democratic institutions and processes, facilitates human rights abuses and weakens the rules-based international order if misused.
Biden refers to AI as an “era-defining technology” that “has demonstrated significant and growing relevance to national security.”
“The United States government must urgently consider how this current AI paradigm specifically could transform the national security mission,” Biden said.
Biden announced three objectives in the memorandum that provides direction on harnessing AI-enabled technologies in the U.S. government to counter adversaries’ use of AI that endangers national security.
The three objectives are to lead development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI; harness powerful AI with appropriate safeguards to achieve national security objectives; and continue cultivating a stable and responsible framework to advance international AI governance.
U.S. government policy also is to promote progress, innovation and competition in domestic AI development while protecting against foreign intelligence threats.
The Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security each wil assist in attracting and rapidly bringing to the United States individuals with relevant technical expertise who would improve the nation’s competitiveness in AI and related fields, such as semiconductor design and production.
The chair of the Council of Economic Advisers has 180 days to prepare an analysis of the AI talent market within the United States and overseas.
An economic assessment also must be prepared within 180 days by the assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council to determine the nation’s private sector advantages and risks regarding AI, including the design, manufacture and packaging of chips needed for AI-related activities, and the availability of capital and highly skilled workers.
Within 90 days the assistant to the President for National Security Affairs must convene appropriate executive departments and agencies to explore ways to prioritize and streamline administrative processing for visa applicants working with sensitive technologies.
The Department of Energy also has 180 days to launch a pilot project to evaluate the performance and efficiency of AI-enabling infrastructure and supporting assets, including clean energy generation, power transmission and high-capacity fiber data links.
The memorandum also directs respective federal agencies to assess and report on foreign intelligence threats, critical nodes in the AI supply chain and other factors that could affect AI development and use within the United States and globally.
In a background call with reporters on Wednesday, unnamed senior administration officials affirmed the importance of emerging AI technology in the United States and worldwide.
The United States is well-positioned with AI today, they said, stressing that the United States uses the most advanced hardware and hosts the leading AI companies that are building the most advanced AI systems.
They said the recently implemented CHIPS Act makes the United States more resilient in its chip supply chains and helps support the private sector in its development of AI technology.
And there are national security implications in AI, they said.
Administration officials taking part in the call pointed out that, because countries such as China recognize similar opportunities to modernize and revolutionize their own military and intelligence capabilities using artificial intelligence, it’s particularly imperative that the United States accelerate its national security community’s adoption and use of cutting-edge AI capabilities to maintain an competitive edge.
Biden a year ago directed the development of the national security memorandum released Thursday to ensure the United States maintains its edge over rivals who would use AI to the detriment of U.S.national security and build effective safeguards to ensure the nation’s use of AI upholds the nation’s values and preserve public trust.
