Conference to Explore National Security Implications of AI Examines Future Policy Initiatives

Last Tuesday, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) held a conference in Washington, DC to discuss the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and U.S. national security. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry delivered opening remarks and many Members of Congress delivered remarks throughout the day. Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) used the opportunity to present the idea of creating a National Science Technology Foundation (NSTF) under the National Science Foundation (NSF). He said the idea of the NSTF would be to team-up with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on artificial intelligence research, stating that between the two there could be a combined $100 billion investment over five years.

The NSCAI is a congressional mandated Commission and is responsible for reporting its findings to Congress. In advance of the conference, the NSCAI released its Interim Report for 2019 offering its preliminary assessment of the challenges and opportunities associated with AI in the United States. The report identities five fundamental focus areas for the U.S. to invest in order to gain a competitive advantage in the area. The five effort areas include:

• Investing in AI Research and Development(R&D)
• Applications for AI in National Security Missions
• Training and Recruiting AI Talent
• Protecting and Building Upon U.S. Technology Advantages
• Marshalling Global AI Cooperation

Over the coming months, the Commission plans to pursue answers to challenges associated with the five focus areas and develop solutions on how to best integrate AI into national policies that support national security. The conference provided an opportunity for different agencies and branches of government to come together to coordinate a whole-of-government approach to advance the future of AI in the United States.

ASME is actively monitoring AI policy and will continue to report on the findings and recommendations made by the NSCAI.

Click here to view an online recording of the event in its entirety.