The White House has issued a National Security Memorandum (NSM) focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), marking a significant step in addressing the implications of AI advancements for national security and foreign policy. The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are spearheading efforts to understand and mitigate risks associated with AI systems, enhance their performance, and strengthen the U.S. AI ecosystem.
"This first-ever National Security Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence establishes that retaining U.S. leadership in the most advanced AI models will be vital for our national security and global competitiveness, while also ensuring the industry can grow rapidly, powered by clean energy investments," stated U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. She emphasized DOE's commitment to harnessing frontier AI for science, energy, and national security missions.
Jill Hruby, Undersecretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator, highlighted the unique role federal agencies play in merging science with national security missions: "AI is a game-changing technology, and the government has a responsibility to evaluate its potential impacts and harness AI for nuclear and national security missions."
The NSM outlines several directives for DOE via NNSA:
- Conduct safety testing and evaluations of frontier AI models to assess nuclear risk.
- Provide infrastructure to support systematic testing of AI systems.
- Develop large-scale facilities for scientific research using frontier AI.
- Evaluate federated AI data sources' performance.
- Coordinate across government agencies to identify risks in the AI supply chain.
- Streamline permitting processes for constructing AI infrastructure.
- Advance hiring strategies to promote responsible AI adoption.
This memorandum builds on DOE's leadership in AI development through initiatives like Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST). This initiative aims to develop powerful scientific AI systems in collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners.
For further details about the National Security Memorandum, additional information is available online.
