The Department of Homeland Security has established an AI Safety and Security Board to address the impacts of artificial intelligence on critical infrastructure. The board, composed of industry leaders, public officials, and academics, will advise Homeland Security officials on potential AI risks.
Key appointees to the board include Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI; Fei Fei Li, co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute; and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. Notable tech CEOs such as Sundar Pichai (Alphabet), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Lisa Su (AMD), and Arvind Krishna (IBM) are also on the board.
The board, created by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas under President Biden's directive, aims to mitigate AI risks while leveraging its transformative potential for national interests. Mayorkas emphasized the importance of adopting best practices and concrete actions to address AI risks.
Scheduled for early May, the inaugural meeting of the board will focus on creating recommendations for safe AI adoption and establishing a platform for sharing risk information with the infrastructure community. Quarterly meetings are planned thereafter.
Board members stress the need for a collaborative and responsible approach to AI adoption, ensuring its beneficial impact on society. Lisa Su highlights the potential of AI to enhance daily lives, while Fei Fei Li emphasizes the importance of human-centered AI development.
Despite the appointments, criticism arose regarding the preference for closed-source AI systems over open-source alternatives. Some industry figures expressed concern over the concentration of power and suggested alternative appointees, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and chief scientist Yann LeCun.
The formation of the AI Safety and Security Board underscores the government's recognition of AI's significance and potential risks. With a diverse panel of experts, the board aims to guide responsible AI adoption and address emerging challenges in safeguarding critical infrastructure.
