Staff Reports
In a bold move to counter China’s rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), a bipartisan pair of House lawmakers are urging Western nations to join forces and form a special alliance. Reps. Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, and Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, have introduced the Five AIs Act, which seeks to leverage the existing Five Eyes intelligence sharing program to focus on AI development.
The Five Eyes collaboration, comprised of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, allows for the sharing of sensitive information among these nations. Now, Gallagher and Khanna want to expand this cooperation to include AI, recognizing the need to prevent China from gaining a technological advantage. Gallagher emphasized the importance of keeping the Free World at the forefront of AI innovation while implementing responsible guidelines to prevent the weaponization of AI by the Chinese Communist Party.
Lawmakers want new Western alliance for AI to counter Chinahttps://t.co/hMzEgeigRo pic.twitter.com/fadIft2pLY
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 22, 2023
This proposal from the leaders of the House Armed Services Cyber Subcommittee aims to encourage collaboration between the Defense Department and the intelligence community. The goal is to establish a new international arrangement that would facilitate better coordination for the use of AI in military and intelligence operations.
Artificial intelligence, a rapidly evolving field of science and engineering, involves using statistical analysis and advanced computing to enable machines to perform complex tasks. As the power of AI continues to increase, governments and their military and intelligence agencies have begun testing its applications. The National Security Agency, for instance, recently announced the establishment of an AI Security Center to evaluate and scrutinize AI technologies. Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, the director of the NSA, expects the center to collaborate with foreign partners, industry experts, academia, and other U.S. agencies to harness the potential of AI.
The urgency to explore and harness AI capabilities predates the viral popularity of chatbot ChatGPT. In fact, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks confirmed that the Pentagon had been conducting tests even before ChatGPT entered the market. The Defense Department had been developing its own models of generative AI and conducting experiments under strict human supervision.
These lawmakers’ quest to create a united front against China’s AI advancements is a testament to the growing recognition of the strategic significance of AI. By leveraging the collective expertise and resources of Western nations, they hope to prevent China from gaining an unfair edge in the race for technological supremacy. With the world increasingly relying on AI, this bipartisan effort underscores the need for continued innovation while ensuring responsible and ethical use of this transformative technology.
