Highlights
The White House calls AI a ‘breakthrough technology’ and says the US must demonstrate ‘responsible speed’ to partner with industry and civil society to use AI in the service of national security – under penalty of “losing ground to strategic competitors”.
The White House says the government “must harness powerful AI.” . . to achieve national security objectives,” while respecting “democratic values of transparency, human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy and security.”
The White House also wants to attract highly skilled AI non-citizens to live and work in the United States, and has directed the Department of State and the Department of Defense to attract and bring such individuals to the United States. United.
On October 24, 2024, the White House issued a memorandum regarding the need for the United States to strengthen its leadership in the development and use of AI models and AI-based technologies. The memorandum calls these technologies “epoch-defining technologies” as global competition intensifies for primacy in the AI space. The memorandum calls on the U.S. government to implement concrete and effective measures to: 1) ensure that the United States leads the global development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; 2) leverage cutting-edge AI technologies to advance the U.S. government’s national security mission; and 3) advance international consensus and governance around AI.
White House policy goals
The memorandum states that it is the policy of the United States to preserve its “competitive advantage in the development of AI” by promoting and ensuring “domestic AI progress, innovation, and competition” and by strengthening “innovation and competition by strengthening key drivers of AI progress, such as technical talent and computing power.
The memorandum also states that advancing “the legal ability of highly skilled AI non-citizens to enter and work in the United States” is a “national security priority.”
To achieve these goals, the United States must “protect U.S. industrial, civil society, and academic AI intellectual property and associated infrastructure from foreign intelligence threats in order to maintain an edge in fundamental capabilities”.
The memorandum sets out three main objectives to promote these political declarations, including:
- Leadership in AI development: Stating that the United States must play a leading role in creating safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, ensuring a vibrant domestic ecosystem that attracts global talent and maintains technological advantages.
- Harnessing AI for National Security: Stating that the United States should harness AI capabilities with appropriate safeguards, respecting democratic values, and understanding the limitations of AI.
- International governance framework: Provided that the United States promotes a responsible international framework for the development of AI that respects human rights and democratic values, in collaboration with its allies.
The memorandum also highlights the need to attract qualified international talent, strengthen innovation, and protect the U.S. AI ecosystem from foreign threats. In doing so, he outlined specific actions and assessments to strengthen the country’s competitive advantage in AI, including improving visa processes for skilled workers and advancing AI-related technology resources.
Critical actions for the pursuit of objectives
The AI memorandum outlines several critical actions deemed necessary to achieve the above objectives. Specifically:
- Regarding the need to ensure that the United States leads the global development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, the memorandum: 1) directs actions to improve security and diversity of channels chip supply and ensure the United States supports next-generation development. government supercomputers and other emerging technologies; and 2) directs relevant U.S. government entities to provide AI developers with timely cybersecurity and counterintelligence information necessary to ensure the security of their inventions.
- Regarding the potential for the U.S. government to harness advanced AI, while protecting human rights and democratic values, to achieve its national security goals, the memorandum provides guidance on AI governance and risk management for use in national security missions, complementing previous guidance issued by the Office. management and budget for non-national security missions.
- Regarding advancing international consensus and governance around AI, the memorandum: 1) builds on substantial international progress on AI governance over the past twelve months; and 2) directs the U.S. government to work with its allies and partners to establish a stable, accountable, and rights-respecting governance framework to ensure that technology is developed and used in a manner that respects international law while protecting the rights of man and fundamental freedoms.
Referral to government agencies
The memorandum also outlines specific actions and policies for U.S. government agencies to improve and protect AI capabilities consistent with national security objectives, including:
- Facilities Development: The Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and Intelligence Community (IC) will integrate AI at scale into their mission planning and facility construction , ensuring alignment with the Federal Mission Resilience Strategy.
- AI Resource Distribution: The National Science Foundation (NSF) will leverage the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) to provide critical AI resources to universities, nonprofits, and researchers who lack access to them , thus promoting competitive and innovative research in AI.
- Pilot Projects: DOE will launch a pilot project to evaluate federated AI for large-scale training and analysis.
- Streamlining infrastructure development: The White House chief of staff will coordinate efforts to streamline permitting and approvals for AI infrastructure, working with different levels of government to ensure resilience and environmental sustainability.
- Investment in AI Technologies: Various agencies (State Department, DOD, DOE, IC, and Department of Commerce) will encourage public and private investments in strategic AI technologies and assess the need for new authorities to facilitate these investments .
- Protection from Foreign Threats: The United States will protect its AI innovations and intellectual property from foreign intelligence threats, employing various strategies to identify and mitigate risks to the AI supply chain.
- AI risk management: The government will develop technical and policy tools to address the safety, security and reliability risks posed by AI. The Department of Commerce, through the AI Safety Institute (AISI), will conduct voluntary testing of AI models to assess risks related to, among others, cybersecurity, biosecurity and human rights man.
- Guidance for Developers: AISI will provide guidance to AI developers on testing and managing risks associated with dual-use models, with a focus on safety, security and misuse prevention.
These actions aim to ensure that the United States maintains its leadership in AI while preserving national security and democratic values.
Takeaways
The White House memorandum highlights the importance of AI technology and the government’s desire to improve, expand and protect the competitive advantage the United States enjoys in this technology. It also highlights the need to lead the international development of standards and norms of governance that are consistent with and supportive of the democratic values upheld by the United States. Readers should familiarize themselves with the entire memorandum and continue to monitor developments in U.S. policy, particularly given potential changes from the next administration.
