The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will form a dedicated task force to study how the government can use AI to defend the country. The CNBC report is by CNBC.
The head of the department, Alejandro Mayorkas, announced the formation of the group during remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations. According to him, this is tied to the risks posed by tools like ChatGPT amid their rising popularity.
“Our department will lead the responsible use of AI to defend the homeland,” Mayorkas said.
He also pledged to guard against “the malicious use of transformational technology.”
“As we do this, we will ensure thorough testing of our use of AI to avoid bias and disproportionate impact,” added Mayorkas.
The secretary gave two examples of how the task force will help define AI use in the department’s work.
One is deploying AI to screen cargo for goods produced with forced labour. The second is the precise detection of fentanyl in supply chains, and stopping the flow of “precursor chemicals” used to manufacture drugs.
Mayorkas asked co-chair of the National Security Advisory Council Jamie Gorelick to study the “intersection of AI and national security.”
Earlier, U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East and North Africa, hired former Google AI Cloud director Andrew Moore. He will serve as the first adviser on artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing and data analytics.
According to the department, Moore will advise commanders on the use of AI and other technologies in their missions and help with innovation task forces.
In April, the Biden administration began examining the to set rules for AI systems like ChatGPT.
In February, the U.S. government released a declaration on responsible AI use in the armed forces.