To strengthen its focus on vulnerabilities and security around artificial intelligence, the National Security Agency (NSA) is establishing a new center that will consolidate its activities in AI security with an aim to understanding threats to the technology help provide national security systems and the defense industrial base with more secure AI capabilities and platforms, Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, the agency’s director, said on Thursday.
The Artificial Intelligence Security Center was borne out of a recent study the NSA did examining its experience applying the technology to its missions to guide the agency ahead as AI innovations accelerate along with the “opportunities and challenges” the technology presents, he said during an address at the National Press Club.
The new center will report within the NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center (CCC) because “AI security is principally a cybersecurity responsibility,” he said. The CCC is where NSA collaborates with industry, government, and international partners to strengthen the defense industries’ cyber posture against nation-state cyber threats.
“The AI Security Center will become NSA’s focal point for leveraging foreign intelligence insights, contributing to the development of best practices, guidelines, principles, evaluation methodology, and risk frameworks for AI security with an end goal of promoting the secure development, integration, and adoption of AI capabilities within our national security systems and our defense industrial base,” Nakasone said. “AI Security Center will also help industry understand the threats against their intellectual property and collaborate to help prevent and eradicate threats.”
America’s adversaries have a long history of trying to steal its intellectual property and will do the same with the country’s AI innovations, he said. Nakasone also said that AI security is a key part of NSA’s work to help the U.S. maintain an advantage in AI.
Nakasone, who also serves as commander of U.S. Cyber Command, was expected to retire shortly but the confirmation of his successor, Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, has been held up due to Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold the confirmation of hundreds of military officers stemming from his opposition to a Defense Department abortion policy. Haugh is currently Nakasone’s deputy at Cyber Command.
Nakasone said he will remain in his current roles until a successor is confirmed.