During a speech at a Council on Foreign Relations event, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the establishment of a new task force aimed at exploring ways in which the government can use artificial intelligence technology to protect the country. This move comes at a time when popular AI tools like ChatGPT have captured the public’s attention and triggered both hopes and fears about how the technology might be used in the future. Mayorkas’ announcement demonstrates the Biden administration’s willingness to embrace AI’s potential benefits while also considering the possible harms.
According to Mayorkas, the Department of Homeland Security will lead in the responsible use of AI to secure the homeland, while also pledging to defend against the malicious use of the technology. He added that the use of AI will be rigorously tested to avoid bias and disparate impact and will be clearly explainable to the people served by the department. Although tech leaders have expressed concerns about the rapid development of generative AI models, policymakers and tech companies recognize the U.S. is in a fast-moving race against China to create the best AI.
Mayorkas provided two examples of how the task force will help determine how AI can be used to fine-tune the agency’s work. One is to deploy AI into DHS systems that screen cargo for goods produced by forced labor, while the second is to use the technology to better detect fentanyl in shipments to the U.S. and identify and stop the flow of precursor chemicals used to produce the drug.
Mayorkas asked Homeland Security Advisory Council Co-Chair Jamie Gorelick to study the intersection of AI and homeland security and deliver findings that will help guide the government’s use of the technology and defense against it. This announcement adds to the government’s efforts to enhance its AI capabilities. For instance, on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command announced that it had hired former Google AI Cloud Director Andrew Moore to serve as its first advisor on AI, robotics, cloud computing, and data analytics, advising its leaders on applying AI and other technologies to its missions and helping with innovation task forces.
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