Federal agencies ordered to use ‘most powerful’ AI systems in first-ever National Security Memo on AI

The U.S. National Security Council released on Thursday its first-ever memo on artificial intelligence (AI), ordering federal agencies to use the “most powerful” AI systems while balancing the risks associated with the new technology.

The National Security Memorandum (NSM) details the U.S. approach to harnessing the power of AI for national security and foreign policy purposes “to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of AI,” senior administration officials said.

“We are directing that the agencies gain access to the most powerful AI systems and put them to use, which often involve substantial efforts on procurement,” the officials said.

The NSM, which was signed by President Biden, serves as the framework for the AI Safety Institute in the Department of Commerce, which already issued guidance on safe AI development and entered into agreements with companies to test new AI systems before they are released publicly.

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The Biden-Harris administration on Thursday issued the first-ever memo on artificial intelligence. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images, File)

“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 as he described the new policy to students during an appearance at the National Defense University in Washington.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the framework will help the U.S. harness the power of AI while managing the risks that the emerging technology poses. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have been hailed as potentially transformative for a long list of industries and sectors, including military, national security and intelligence.

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But there are risks to the technology’s use by governments, including possibilities it could be harnessed for mass surveillance, cyberattacks or even lethal autonomous devices.

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The framework announced Thursday also prohibits national security agencies from certain uses, such as applications that would violate constitutionally protected civil rights or any system that would automate the deployment of nuclear weapons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.