At a glance.
- US officials discuss AI regulation.
- State Department cyber official tells private sector not to hack back.
- DoE is working on a cloud tech strategy.
US officials discuss AI regulation.
US legislators have been busy this week tackling the complex topic of artificial intelligence. Executive Gov explains that on Tuesday a bipartisan group of US lawmakers proposed a bill addressing the nation’s need for regulation of artificial intelligence. Introduced by Representatives Ken Buck (a Republican out of Colorado), Ted Lieu, and Anna Eshoo (both Democrats from California), the bill calls for the establishment of a national commission devoted to determining what governmental structures are necessary to regulate AI systems. This independent body would include both government and industry experts. Lieu stated, “Our bill forges a path toward responsible AI regulation that promotes technological progress while keeping Americans safe.”
On Wednesday Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat of New York) announced his own strategy for regulating AI, NBC News reports. “We have no choice but to acknowledge that AI’s changes are coming and in many cases are already here,” he stated,. Schumer plans to hold a series of “AI Insight Forums” where AI experts from different sectors can discuss potential AI policy solutions. He and his staffers have already come up with a five-pillar framework called SAFE Innovation for AI, which stands for security, accountability, foundations, explain, and innovation (parallelism be damned). “Innovation must be our north star,” Schumer said. “But if people think AI innovation is not done safely, if there are not adequate guardrails in place — and the public feels that innovation will not be safe — that will stifle or even halt innovation altogether.”
Meanwhile, the Washington Post adds, the State Department’s ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy Nathaniel Fick gave a speech at think tank the Hudson Institute in which he underlined the heightened risk of cyberattacks when it comes to AI. “We don’t have a lot of time to put together some kind of regulatory or governance structure,” Fick stated, emphasizing the need to act quickly before concerns involving AI-empowered misinformation and cyberattacks become a reality.
Adam Thierer, a resident senior fellow on R Street's technology and innovation team and an AI expert, sees a convergence between tech policy and AI policy. "AI policy is the most important technology policy battle of our time. All tech policy is now AI policy, and the governance vision America chooses for artificial intelligence and robotics will have profound ramifications for innovation, global competitiveness, and geopolitical standing," he said. He thinks the senators are asking the right questions. "As Sen. Schumer and Congress look to craft legislation, they are right to ask that a culture of safety by design exists. But there is an equally compelling interest in ensuring that algorithmic innovations are developed and made widely available to society. We can achieve AI safety without innovation-crushing top-down mandates, licensing schemes, and all-encompassing new bureaucracies. The goal of AI policy should be for policymakers and innovators to work together to find flexible, iterative, bottom-up governance solutions over time."
Brandon Pugh, the director of R Street's cybersecurity and emerging threats team, also liked Senator Shumer's emphasis. "Sen. Schumer was correct to highlight security as a key part of his proposed AI framework because AI has the potential to be misused by bad actors. However, in line with his theme of innovation, we must promote and further beneficial applications of AI in both the cybersecurity and national security arenas. Adversaries will not abide by either pauses or overly restrictive frameworks that limit innovation, so any path forward must ensure the U.S. is the AI leader."
State Department cyber official tells private sector not to hack back.
During his speech at the Hudson Institute, Nathaniel Fick also warned the corporate sector against attempting to hack back against foreign state-backed threat actors. “We really need companies not to pick fights that only the government can then finish,” Fick told The Times. “That’s where I draw the bright red line.”
Fick’s speech comes as recent reports revealed North Korean hackers have been engaged in a malicious cyber campaign targeting US intelligence officials, media executives, and national security scholars. Fick stressed that hacking back is an activity that should be carried out only by government operations. “There needs to be robust democratic oversight within the context of the rule of law but these are legitimate operations that can absolutely advance our national interests and they’re one of many tools at our policymakers’ disposal,” Fick stated.
DoE is working on a cloud tech strategy.
Ann Dunkin, chief information officer at the US Department of Energy (DoE) says the agency is drafting a cybersecurity plan regarding how cloud technologies will be used in the future. At an event organized by the Federal News Network earlier this week, Dunkin said the strategy shifts responsibility for cybersecurity onto tech providers. Development of the plan comes as the Office of the National Cyber Director is poised to release implementation plans for its National Cybersecurity Strategy. Choosing not to go into too much detail about the strategy itself, Dunkin emphasized the collaborative nature of the drafting process.
“Our strategy is being managed as a very inclusive process,” Dunkin said. “We’ve got participants from every department element … All those folks are engaged in our cybersecurity strategy as well as that cloud strategy they are already engaged in. They’re going to help us develop a strategy that works for all.” MeriTalk adds that Dunkin also said the DoE is working AI tech into its plans.
