President Joe Biden has issued a new national security memorandum directing his agencies to leverage advanced artificial intelligence technology to compete with global rivals, particularly China. The memorandum aims to strike a balance between utilizing AI's potential benefits while safeguarding against its potential misuse for antidemocratic purposes.
The document includes specific guidelines, such as prohibiting the use of AI to circumvent existing protocols related to deploying nuclear weapons and restricting its use to limit free speech. Agencies are also barred from employing AI in ways that contradict democratic values.
Biden's administration believes that establishing clear rules will enable agencies to effectively utilize AI tools and prevent adversaries from exploiting them. The president emphasized the importance of managing the rise of AI, stating that it is a critical technology for national security in the years ahead.
The memorandum also instructs agencies to assist American companies in safeguarding AI technology from foreign espionage and to continue advancements in semiconductor chip production, essential for AI products.
While the order sets timelines for agency reviews extending beyond Biden's term, it remains uncertain how former President Donald Trump would address the issue if re-elected. Vice President Kamala Harris has been actively engaged in the administration's AI initiatives, including participation in a summit on the topic in London.
The Biden administration views the rapid development of AI tools as a catalyst for increased competition among global powers. While the US has been a leader in AI development, countries like China are rapidly integrating AI into military and civilian applications.
The US has engaged in discussions with Beijing on AI-related matters and aims to collaborate further on addressing the most concerning applications of the technology. Officials express concerns about China's development of a digital infrastructure that could compromise data security, enable surveillance and censorship, spread misinformation, and create vulnerabilities to coercion.
The administration emphasizes the need to offer a more appealing technological path to counter China's initiatives and prevent countries from adopting unreliable AI systems that could be challenging to reverse.
