Last Week, This Week #4 – December 16, 2024
A quiet week, save for the this year's National Defense Authorization Act.
Delivered to your inbox every Monday morning, LWTW is a rundown of the previous week’s happenings in AI governance in America. News, articles, opinion pieces, and more, to bring you up to speed for the week ahead.
As the lame-duck session comes to a close, and the rest of the federal government winds down for the holiday period, there have been relatively few policy developments over the last week. As such, this weeks’ LWTW is a brief one.
Notably, however, the House passed this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Passed in each financial year, the NDAA outlines the annual budget of the Department of Defense. This year’s bill faced heavy criticism from Democrats, primarily motivated by opposition to provisions in the bill that would prevent the children of servicemembers from accessing gender-affirming healthcare. Despite this opposition, eighty-one Democratic members voted in favor of the legislation, ensuring its safe passage in the House. The bill has now been referred to the Senate for consideration. Importantly, this year’s NDAA contains a significant number of provisions relating to AI, outlined below. A summary of the bill, and its full text, are available online.
Sec. 225 would expand the duties of the Chief Digital and AI Officer Governing Council, tasking them with identifying potential national security risks posed by AI intelligence models. The council would be required to develop strategies to prevent unauthorized access to AI technologies by U.S. adversaries, reflecting increasing strategic concern around AI.
Sec. 236 would mandate the establishment of an AI Biotechnology Applications pilot program. This program would be focused on developing near-term use cases for AI in national security contexts, reflecting a growing interest in applications of AI to biotech.
Sec. 1087 would call for the establishment of a Multilateral AI Working Group. Established within 90 days, the working group would be aimed at developing and coordinating AI initiatives among U.S. allies and partners.
Sec. 1534 would create a Center of Excellence to support the development and maturation of AI-enabled weapon systems.
Sec. 1638 would affirm the current policy of maintaining human "in the loop" oversight for critical nuclear weapon decisions.
Sec. 1531 would establish an AI Human Factors Integration Initiative to improve the human usability of AI systems, applying cognitive ergonomics techniques to ensure AI designs are user-friendly and effective.
Sec. 237 would establish a pilot program for AI-enabled software, to optimize workflow operations in critical defense infrastructure.This includes depot operations, shipyards, and contract administration.
Sec. 222 would modify the AI education strategy by requiring the DoD's Chief Digital and AI Officer to develop distance education courses on AI within 180 days of enactment.
Under Sec. 221, the DoD would be required to appoint a Chief Digital Engineering Recruitment and Management Officer by April 30, 2025. This provision would mandate a comprehensive definition and identification of the DoD's AI workforce.
Sec. 1533 would require the DoD to develop a plan to ensure AI program budgeting includes comprehensive estimates for data acquisition and sustainment, recognizing the role of data in AI development.
Sec. 1007 would require the Secretary of Defense to use AI and machine learning for DOD financial audits. The department would be required to brief Congress on its efforts within 180 days.