Artificial intelligence (AI) is full of both promises and concerns. To advise the U.S. Government on the use “safe and secure” of this new technology, the United States set up a federal council.
This new committee will help authorities combat AI-related disruptions that can “have an impact on national or economic security, public health or safety”said the US Department of Homeland Security in a statement released Friday, April 26.
President Joe Biden tasked the department’s secretary general, Alejandro Mayorkas, with setting up this 22-member advisory body. Mr. Mayorkas emphasized that while AI is a transformative tool, “it presents real risks”.
“The council will help the Department of Homeland Security stay at the forefront of the ever-evolving threats posed by hostile state actors and strengthen our national security”specifies the press release.
AI can be used by hostile forces to enable faster and larger-scale attacks against targets such as pipelines, railways and other strategic infrastructure, the document warns.
“The most transformative technology of our time”
The bosses of OpenAI, Microsoft and Google are among the most prominent members of this new body. “Artificial intelligence is the most transformative technology of our time, and we must ensure it is deployed safely and responsibly”highlighted Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in the press release.
The CEOs of Adobe, Alphabet, Advanced Micro Devices, Cisco, IBM, Nvidia, Delta Airlines and Northrop Grumman are also among the committee’s most influential members. It also includes academics and politicians, including the governor of Maryland.
The body will meet for the first time in early May and make recommendations for the safe adoption of AI “in the essential services that Americans depend on every day”.