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In a landmark move, President Joe Biden issued the first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence (AI), directing federal agencies to implement and harness AI technologies for national security purposes. The NSM, announced on October 24, 2024, emphasizes the significant implications of AI advancements for national security and foreign policy in the near future.
The memorandum outlines three key objectives: ensuring that the United States leads the world's development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; harnessing cutting-edge AI technologies to advance the U.S. Government's national security mission; and advancing international consensus and governance around AI.
The NSM is designed to galvanize federal government adoption of AI to advance the national security mission, including by ensuring that such adoption reflects democratic values and protects human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy. In addition, the NSM seeks to shape international norms around AI use to reflect those same democratic values and directs actions to track and counter adversary development and use of AI for national security purposes.
The memorandum also directs federal agencies to promote progress, innovation, and competition in domestic AI development, protect the United States AI ecosystem against foreign intelligence threats, and manage risks to AI safety, security, and trustworthiness.
The NSM builds on key steps the President and Vice President have taken to drive the safe, secure, and trustworthy development of AI, including President Biden’s landmark Executive Order to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of AI.
The release of the NSM is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy for responsible innovation and builds on previous actions that President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken.