This move expands the Biden administration’s effort to counter technological competition from China and other adversaries. The White House wants government agencies to increase experiments and deployments of AI.
The memo also bans agencies from using the technology in ways that "do not align with democratic values," according to a White House news release.
“This is our nation’s first ever strategy for harnessing the power and managing the risks of AI to advance our national security,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a speech.
Sullivan described the speed of change in AI as “breathtaking” and noted its potential to impact fields ranging from nuclear physics to rocketry and stealth technology.
The White House believes that establishing clear rules for AI use will simplify its adoption by government agencies, according to a briefing with senior administration officials who spoke anonymously to discuss the report's details before publication.
“We must outcompete our adversaries, With a lack of policy clarity and legal clarity of what can and can’t be done, we are likely to see less experimentation,” the officials said.
Government agencies should not use AI to monitor Americans’ free speech or bypass existing controls on nuclear weapons, the national security memo states.
The United States currently holds a “strong hand” in AI, with its companies dominating the field, said another official. Maintaining this lead to avoid a “strategic surprise” from rivals, including China, is a key government priority.
The national security memo was drafted in response to an extensive executive order on AI signed by President Joe Biden last year, which called for the government to explore fostering AI innovation while ensuring the technology didn't harm people.
Yesterday's memo instructs the government to help US companies protect their AI technology from foreign spies and continue diversifying the supply chain for high-end computer chips essential for advanced AI projects, most of which are currently produced in Taiwan.
The military has historically been an early adopter of some AI forms, such as image-recognition algorithms that process satellite photos to identify potential targets and cruise missiles that navigate complex terrain independently. However, military analysts predict AI will play an increasingly central role in military competition in the coming years, particularly as the US and China vie for Pacific influence.
Intelligence analysts still manually sift through vast amounts of data from satellites, human spies, and sensors on ships and planes to piece together potential military threats. AI advocates inside and outside the Pentagon argue that the technology could synthesize this information much faster and provide commanders with insights for better or quicker battlefield decisions.
