Biden signs directive on using artificial intelligence to protect national security

2024-10-25 07:19:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Biden signs directive on using artificial intelligence to protect national

President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a directive urging the Pentagon and intelligence agencies to rapidly embrace artificial intelligence technology as a matter of national security.

The directive aims to ensure that the United States maintains a leading role in artificial intelligence technology while preventing the country from falling victim to the manipulation of this technology by adversary countries such as China.

The memo, which calls artificial intelligence (AI) "an era-defining technology," also lays out guidelines that the White House says are designed to prevent AI from being used to harm civil liberties or human rights.

The new rules will "ensure that our national security agencies use these technologies in ways that are consistent with our values," a senior administration official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity about the memo ahead of its official release. .

"Failure to immediately put this technology into operation," the official said, "could put us at risk of a strategic surprise by our rivals."

"As countries like China realize the opportunities this technology offers to modernize and revolutionize their military and intelligence capabilities through artificial intelligence, it is especially imperative that we accelerate the incorporation and use of AI by national security agencies." said the official.

But some civil liberties organizations have expressed concerns that the new guidelines lack sufficient safeguards.

The new guidelines build on an executive order issued last year that requires government agencies to develop policies on how to use artificial intelligence.

Provisions in the memorandum call for a series of actions to protect supply chains that produce advanced computing equipment critical to artificial intelligence systems. Additional actions are also required to combat economic espionage that would allow adversaries or non-US companies to steal critical innovations.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said: "If we don't deploy AI quickly and comprehensively to strengthen our national security, we could put our hard-earned leadership at risk." Wow