Former Deputy Defense Secretary Robert O. Work is set to announce Thursday that he will work with the Center for a New American Security think tank on putting together a task force to look into how the government is embracing artificial intelligence technology, as well as work more effectively with big technology companies, The New York Times reported.
The issue is becoming more urgent for the task force, which will include former government officials, academics, and private industry representatives. China has promised that it would become the world leader in artificial intelligence by 2030, the newspaper reported.
"The question is how should the United States respond to this challenge? This is a Sputnik moment," Work said, according to the Times.
Relationships between tech companies, the military and intelligence communities have cooled off in recent years in the wake of events such as former defense contractor Edward Snowden leaking information about spying on Americans.
"In the wake of Edward Snowden, there has been a lot of concern over what it would mean for Silicon Valley companies to work with the national security community. These companies are — understandably — very cautious about these relationships," said Gregory Allen, an adjunct fellow with the Center for a New American Security, the Times reported.
The tech industry in Silicon Valley, California pulls in the nation's top computer science talent, and offers pay that government work could not match, the newspaper noted.
"Even if the U.S. does have the best AI companies, it is not clear they are going to be involved in national security in a substantive way," Allen told the Times.
AI researchers and other technologists say there is concern that machine learning techniques could put too much power in the wrong hands. Google has said it was working with the Defense Department on tech for "non-offensive uses only." The company is helping the Department of Defense develop artificial intelligence for analyzing drone footage, Gizmodo reported.
The issue is where to draw the line, Work said, and "this is a conversation we have to have."
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