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Biden Administration Fast-Tracks AI National Security, Citing Global Arms Race with China

Published
Kurt Robson
Published
By Kurt Robson
Edited by Samantha Dunn
Key Takeaways
  • The U.S. announced a new directive aimed at fast-tracking AI developments in national security.
  • White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the government was concerned about China’s use of AI.
  • China has been accused of long-standing efforts to steal sensitive U.S. AI technologies through cyber espionage and data theft operations.

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced plans to fast-track AI for national security as the country looks to move ahead of China in the global technology arms race.

On Thursday, Oct. 24, the Biden administration announced its first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM), a directive that aims to “harness cutting-edge AI technologies to advance the U.S. Government’s national security mission.”

Biden Fast Tracks AI

The U.S. NSM outlines three main objectives: solidifying U.S. leadership in secure AI, leveraging the technology to advance national security while safeguarding civil rights, and fostering global governance standards for AI.

“Americans must know when they can trust systems to perform safely and reliably,” the government said in a memo .

To achieve this, the White House said it would require U.S. agencies “to monitor, assess, and mitigate AI risks” related to privacy, bias, and other human rights abuses.

The NSM also aims to improve the security of the country’s chip supply chains to support the development of “the next generation of government supercomputers.”

Concerns About China’s AI Capabilities

The U.S. has been attempting to impede the advancement of Chinese AI capabilities in military applications and cutting-edge research by enforcing export controls on semiconductors.

On Thursday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said  the government was concerned about China’s use of AI.

Speaking at the National Defense University, Sullivan said China is using AI to spread misinformation, undermine national security, and repress its population.

“We know that China is building its own technological ecosystem with digital infrastructure that won’t protect sensitive data, that can enable mass surveillance and censorship, that can spread misinformation, and that can make countries vulnerable to coercion,” he said.

Sullivan added the U.S. needed to provide a more attractive path, “ideally before countries go too far down an untrusted road from which can be expensive and difficult to return.”

The security advisor claimed the new NSM would help address these concerns and be able to offer guidance to the country’s allies.

Fierce Competition

China has allegedly engaged in data theft operations  targeting sensitive AI technologies in the U.S., fueling the government’s efforts to heighten security.

The White House noted that its competitors wanted to “upend U.S. AI leadership,” claiming they had deployed “technological espionage in efforts to steal U.S. technology.”

“This NSM makes collection on our competitors’ operations against our AI sector a top-tier intelligence priority,” the memo stated.

China has openly committed to becoming the world leader in AI by 2030, making massive state-driven investments to fuel advancements in machine learning and autonomous systems.

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