The U.S. National Security Council released on Thursday its first-ever memo on artificial intelligence (AI), ordering federal agencies to use the "most powerful" AI systems while balancing the risks associated with the new technology.
The National Security Memorandum (NSM) details the U.S. approach to harnessing the power of AI for national security and foreign policy purposes "to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of AI," senior administration officials said.
"We are directing that the agencies gain access to the most powerful AI systems and put them to use, which often involve substantial efforts on procurement," the officials said.
The NSM, which was signed by President Biden, serves as the framework for the AI Safety Institute in the Department of Commerce, which already issued guidance on safe AI development and entered into agreements with companies to test new AI systems before they are released publicly.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence have been hailed as potentially transformative for a long list of industries and sectors, including military, national security and intelligence.
But there are risks to the technology's use by governments, including possibilities it could be harnessed for mass surveillance, cyberattacks or even lethal autonomous devices.
