People walking in front of One World Trade, also known as Freedon Tower. Freedon Tower, located on the land where the Twin Towers stood before they were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, is seen in New York City on September 9, 2024.
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The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has called on U.S. spy agencies to better prepare for the “black swan” risks of artificial intelligence, warning in a new report that the technology could be used by terrorists and adversaries to develop more dangerous weapons and plan more deadly attacks.
“The committee believes that the[intelligence community]and policymakers need to carefully consider how to prevent the use of AI tools by wrongdoers, including terrorists,” the report said. This document was written to assess the United States’ efforts over the past quarter century to address the intelligence failures that led to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
“Preventing terrorist groups from developing access to the equipment and expertise necessary to manufacture and use weapons of mass destruction has become a key focus for the IC and national security agencies since 9/11,” the report said. “Frontier’s large-scale language model has the potential to make it significantly easier for any wrongdoer, including terrorists, to develop and execute more destructive attacks.”
The report warns of the destructive potential of AI, with less than two weeks left until the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands and reshaped the U.S. security effort. At the same time, AI is advancing rapidly and driving huge economic activity, and lawmakers and officials are grappling with difficult questions about regulating the technology.
The report was authored by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas) and ranking members Jim Hymes (D-Conn.), Elise Stefanik (R.N.Y.), and Josh Gottheimer (D.N.J.). They warned that existing safeguards may not be enough to keep up with advances in AI.
“Although the AI Institute seeks to prevent models from returning information that could aid bad actors, such as in the production of biological weapons, the fundamental capabilities of models are evolving rapidly, making it difficult to fully control the use of such models,” the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers called on intelligence agencies to “take responsibility for accelerating the deployment of advanced AI capabilities to help the United States stay ahead of our adversaries.” He also said that investing in “secure AI tools for collection, analysis, and alerting, combined with rigorous testing, human oversight, and strong privacy and civil liberties protections,” is critical to addressing next-generation threats.
The committee generally found that the United States “faces the most complex and dangerous threat environment since September 11, 2001.”
“Serious gaps remain in our ability to confront and respond to these vulnerabilities. We are not adequately prepared to confront and respond to these vulnerabilities,” the report said.
