US unveils new strategy to lead global AI race

White House memo says US should stay at the forefront of AI development while safeguarding rights and privacy. 

United States President Joe Biden has rolled out new plans to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) for national security, as the global race to innovate the technology accelerates.

Biden outlined the strategy in a first-ever AI-focused National Security Memorandum (NSM) Thursday, calling for the government to stay at the forefront of “safe, secure and trustworthy” AI development.

The memo directs US agencies to bolster their semiconductor chip supply chains, incorporate AI considerations into new government technology, and prioritise intelligence gathering on foreign efforts to undermine US AI leadership.

“We believe that we must out-compete our adversaries and mitigate the threats posed by adversary use of AI,” said a Biden administration official cited by AFP, the French news agency.

The White House memo stressed that the government must use AI to protect human rights and democratic values. “Americans must know when they can trust systems to perform safely and reliably,” it said.

As part of safeguarding measures, it requires US agencies “to monitor, assess, and mitigate AI risks related to invasions of privacy, bias and discrimination, the safety of individuals and groups, and other human rights abuses.”

The directive also urges a framework for Washington to collaborate with allies to ensure AI “is developed and used in ways that adhere to international law while protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

The memo is the latest move by Biden’s administration to tackle the fast-moving technology, which US officials expect will unleash intense military and intelligence competition between global powers.

Last year, Biden signed an executive order to limit AI’s risks to consumers, workers, minority groups and national security.

But in July, more than a dozen civil society groups, such as the Center for Democracy & Technology, sent an open letter to Biden administration officials calling for robust safeguards to be built into the NSM. They said “little is known” about government agencies’ use of AI despite “pledges of transparency”.

“Its [AI’s] deployment in national security contexts also risks perpetuating racial, ethnic or religious prejudice, and entrenching violations of privacy, civil rights and civil liberties,” the letter said.

Next month, the US will convene a global safety summit focused on AI in San Francisco, where allies will work to develop better regulation of the sector and coordinate policy.

Generative AI can create text, photos and videos in response to open-ended prompts, inspiring excitement over its potential and fears it could be misused and potentially overpower humans with catastrophic effects.