A newly announced framework by the White House regulates the use of artificial intelligence by U.S. national security and intelligence agencies with the goal of balancing the promises of technology with the need to protect against its potential risks. President Joe Biden signed this framework that aims to ensure national security agencies have access to the most advanced artificial intelligence while preventing its misuse.
Jake Sullivan, national security advisor, described the importance of this new policy during a presentation at the National Defense University in Washington, stating that this is the country's first strategy to harness the power and manage the risks of artificial intelligence in order to enhance national security. Among the provisions of this framework is the requirement to expand the use of advanced AI systems while prohibiting their use in applications that violate civil rights protected by the Constitution or in any system that automates the deployment of nuclear weapons.
The new rules also encourage research in artificial intelligence and advocate for improving the security of the country's computer chip supply chain. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have been hailed as potentially transformative for a variety of industries and sectors, including military, national security, and intelligence.
Additionally, the guidelines direct intelligence agencies to prioritize efforts to protect the American industry from foreign espionage campaigns. This framework was created in response to an executive order issued by Biden last year, which urged federal agencies to establish policies regarding the use of artificial intelligence.
According to Sullivan, artificial intelligence is different from other innovations largely developed by the government in the past, such as space exploration or nuclear weapons. In contrast, the development of AI systems has been led by the private sector, which is why these standards seek to ensure responsible use of technology and promote the development of new systems to keep the U.S. competitive in this area compared to countries like China and other rivals also seeking to harness its benefits.
