NSA Director Paul Nakasone says US maintains benefit in AI growth however capabilities cannot be ‘taken for granted’, emphasising risk from China.
The United States National Security Agency (NSA) has introduced the creation of an artificial intelligence security centre that can oversee the event and integration of AI capabilities inside US defence and intelligence providers.
Director of the NSA and US Cyber Command, General Paul Nakasone, mentioned on Thursday that US officers had been conscious of the growing significance of AI within the nationwide security panorama and the opening of the brand new centre was a part of steps to “shape the future” of AI expertise within the security, defence and intelligence sectors.
“We maintain an advantage in AI in the United States today. That AI advantage should not be taken for granted,” Nakasone mentioned on the National Press Club in Washington, DC, the place he spoke concerning the opening of the centre and the rising risk that China posed.
The AI centre can be integrated into the NSA’s present Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, Nakasone mentioned, the place it’ll turn into the focus for “promoting the secure adoption of new AI capabilities across the national security enterprise and the defence industry base”.
“AI will be increasingly consequential for national security in diplomatic, technological and economic matters for our country and our allies and partners,” Nakasone mentioned, in line with an announcement from the US Department of Defense.
The NSA chief mentioned it was crucial that the US maintains its management in AI growth and that malicious international actors be prevented from acquiring US improvements in AI.
“We must build a robust understanding of AI vulnerabilities, foreign intelligence threats to these AI systems and ways to encounter the threat in order to have AI security,” he mentioned.
Asked concerning the US utilizing AI to automate the evaluation of threats, Nakasone mentioned that US intelligence and defence companies already use AI although remaining choices are nonetheless made by people.
“AI helps us, but our decisions are made by humans. And that’s an important distinction,” he mentioned. “We do see assistance from artificial intelligence. But at the end of the day, decisions will be made by humans and humans in the loop.”
Responding to reporters’ questions, Nakasone mentioned the US security company had not “yet” detected makes an attempt by both Russia or China to affect the 2024 US presidential elections.
A lot of elections will happen in different components of the world earlier than the US presidential vote, he mentioned, and the US will work with companions and allies to assist deter any such manipulation efforts.
The institution of an AI security centre follows an NSA examine that recognized securing AI fashions from theft and sabotage as a key nationwide security problem for the US, particularly as generative AI applied sciences emerge with immense transformative potential for each good and unhealthy actors.
Cybersecurity researchers additionally say that China has in current months stepped up cyber operations centered on US and allied establishments that will embrace pre-positioning malware designed to disrupt army communications.
On Thursday, the US and Japan issued an alert saying Chinese hackers had been concentrating on authorities, industrial, telecommunications and different entities that help their militaries.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/29/us-national-security-agency-unveils-artificial-intelligence-security-centre?traffic_source=rss
