Sens. Want Assurances for Plan to Develop US Artificial Intelligence

WASHINGTON — A Senate committee sought verification Thursday from artificial intelligence experts that a U.S. government policy anticipating a surge in funding and security needs for the technology is headed in the right direction.

Artificial intelligence refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks typically done through human intelligence, such as learning and problem-solving.

It is used by online search engines, such as Google, Amazon and YouTube. It also is the key component for apps like Alexa and Siri to understand human speech and the navigational force behind self-driving cars.

Lawmakers at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee were told innovations developed so far are only the beginning.

They sought advice for a government effort that “jumpstarts private sector innovation,” said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., the committee’s chairman.

He tempered his hopes for the technology by adding, “Make no mistake, artificial intelligence also presents many risks.”

Manchin cited the example of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students who recently used an artificial intelligence program to design four viruses that could cause deadly pandemics.

Congress appropriated $1.8 billion in 2018 for the Department of Energy’s Exascale Computing Project, which led the United States to develop four of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

Exascale computing refers to the latest generation of supercomputers that empower artificial intelligence algorithms to generate improved technology designs for medicine, materials science, energy, national security and other fields.

The work is being done at six national laboratories overseen by the Energy Department, such as the Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

Experts who testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee described the $1.8 billion government contribution as a drop in the bucket of the amount needed to maintain U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.

Much of the competition comes from China, which plans to spend $26 billion on the technology before the end of this decade. A significant part of it is directed at improving Chinese military capabilities.

“There is no doubt we are now on the cusp of our next grand challenge here in the United States,” said David M. Turk, the Energy Department’s deputy secretary.

He described the challenge as an effort to capitalize on enormous economic and scientific advantages of artificial intelligence while controlling the risks.

“AI can do a lot of good but it can do a lot of harm here,” he said.

Other risks he and other experts mentioned included greater military capabilities for U.S. adversaries and the potential for hackers to disrupt financial markets.

The Energy Department released a proposal in May that plots a course for U.S. development of the technology. In addition to supercomputer investment, it suggests strategies for workforce development of artificial intelligence engineers and for countering sophisticated computer malware.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said one of the greatest threats from artificial intelligence comes from China.

“It can also create a national security risk if the technologies are not properly protected,” Barrasso said. “The People’s Republic of China is watching nearly everything that is done at our national labs.”

He mentioned an FBI report saying China is targeting U.S. universities, businesses and government research facilities to steal their technology. He urged a bipartisan government response.

“We can’t let political bias infiltrate development of AI,” Barrasso said.

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, cautioned that vigilance to protect against Chinese spying could spill over into human rights violations by the Justice Department against Chinese Americans.

“It’s the Chinese government, not the Chinese people,” Hirono said.

A trade group contacted by The Well News said international cooperation could play an important role in artificial intelligence.

“The U.S. should coordinate with other countries and international organizations on legal frameworks regarding artificial intelligence to help ensure that AI technologies from U.S. companies will be competitive, accepted and trusted in the global  marketplace,” said Larry Medsker, chair of the Association for Computing Machinery’s U.S. Technology Policy Committee.

Other excitement about the future of artificial intelligence can be found on Wall Street, where the stock value of technology companies like Nvidia Corp. and C3.ai, Inc. have skyrocketed in the past year.

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