October 4, 2023

The United States is preparing for a potential onslaught of cyber threats targeting the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) models and tools.

In response, the National Security Agency (NSA) is establishing a new AI Security Center to focus on protecting AI systems from hacks, intellectual property theft, and other security threats.

The center will consolidate all of the NSA’s existing work on security and AI while fostering collaboration with the Defense Department, international partners, academia, and the tech industry.

The center’s creation signals the U.S. heightened fears that foreign adversaries will strengthen their abilities to crack AI operators’ systems, manipulate their models, or even steal their IP. U.S. officials and security researchers have increasingly warned about foreign adversaries’ interest in targeting AI models as generative AI tools become more popular.

Much of the work at the new NSA center will focus on how the intelligence community and defense contractors can safely use AI and prevent hacks of their own tools. The center’s establishment is also a reflection of the Pentagon’s growing focus on AI security. As the Pentagon eyes ways to further embed AI tools into its daily operations, AI security has become a bigger agency priority.

The sources for this piece include an article in Axios.