The director of the National Security Agency said the agency’s new Artificial Intelligence Security Center is paying dividends in the Defense Department’s efforts to stay at the cutting edge of the rapidly advancing technology.  

Air Force Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, who also serves as the commander of U.S. Cyber Command, said the security center has become vital as the agency continues to seek ways to leverage, adapt to and protect against AI technology.   

“One area that we see as really being able to provide value is focusing on the security of that technology — thinking about it through both the lens of the protection of intellectual property but also how we think about defending those models to ensure that they’re being used properly,” Haugh said during an event yesterday at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Washington.  

Haugh’s predecessor, Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone announced the creation of the center last year, consolidating the agency’s various artificial intelligence, security-related activities.  

It serves as NSA’s focal point for developing best practices, evaluation methodology and risk frameworks with the aim of promoting the secure adoption of new AI capabilities across the national security enterprise and the defense industrial base.  

Haugh said NSA also plays a critical role in shaping the government’s efforts to better understand the risk of AI in the hands of adversaries and defending against those risks. 

U.S. officials have emphasized the increasing role AI is having in shaping the national security landscape, and they’ve taken steps to shape the future of the emerging technology.  

Last year, DOD released its strategy to accelerate the adoption of advanced AI capabilities to ensure U.S. warfighters maintain decision superiority on the battlefield for years to come. 

The Pentagon’s2023 Data, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Adoption Strategy builds upon years of DOD leadership in the development of AI and further solidifies the United States’ competitive advantage in fielding the emerging technology, defense officials said in releasing the blueprint.  

In unveiling the strategy, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks also emphasized the Pentagon’s commitment to safety and responsibility while forging the AI frontier.  The U.S. has also introduced a political declaration on the responsible military use of artificial intelligence, which further seeks to codify norms for the responsible use of the technology.  

Haugh said the agency also remains at the forefront in shaping DOD’s use of the technology, with a keen focus on responsibility.   

He added that NSA brings a unique perspective from within the U.S. government to responsibly shape the future of AI.   

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