On October 24, the White House released its first National Security Memorandum (NSM) on AI, aimed at (1) ensuring that the United States leads the world’s development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; (2) harnessing cutting-edge AI technologies to advance the U.S. Government’s national security mission; and (3) advancing international consensus and governance around AI. The memo, which builds on President Biden’s executive order on AI from last fall, comes as senior administration and military officials have expressed the need for the U.S. to compete with China on AI to ensure military and economic security. It is the latest example of the Biden administration trying to strike a balance between the need for AI innovation and guardrails around its responsible use. Former President Trump has been critical and civil rights groups are raising concerns over the ability of security agencies to increase their surveillance capabilities.
According to new reporting from Politico, House and Senate leaders have begun private negotiations on a potential lame duck AI package that could be included in must-pass end-of-year legislation such as a government spending bill or the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). If Congress does pass AI provisions, which remains a high bar, expect them to focus on the need for AI research and workforce training, over more contentious issues surrounding AI’s role in misinformation, elections, and national security. Another potential inclusion in an AI package, according to Punchbowl, is the Future of Artificial Intelligence Act sponsored by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Todd Young (R-IN), which would make permanent the AI Safety Institute at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
On October 21, a coalition of major tech companies led by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) sent a letter to House and Senate leaders in support of the Future of Artificial Intelligence Act mentioned above. The letter argues that by codifying and providing resources focused on research and development, and pre-deployment testing and evaluation of the resilience and safety of AI systems, the U.S. will be better positioned to write the global rules for AI. Signatories on the letter include Amazon, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Open AI, and Encode Justice.
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