White House executive order on AI seeks to address security risks | CyberScoop<\/title> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/white-house-ai-executive-order-cybersecurity\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"White House executive order on AI seeks to address security risks\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Long-awaited EO attempts to toe the line between harnessing artificial intelligence\u2019s vast capabilities and protecting \u201cAmericans from the potential risks of AI systems.\u201d\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/white-house-ai-executive-order-cybersecurity\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-30T17:42:24+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-30T20:58:29+00:00\"> <meta name=\"author\" content=\"mbracken\"> <meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\"> <meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg\">  <link rel=\"dns-prefetch\" href=\"\/\/cdn.parsely.com\">\n<link rel=\"dns-prefetch\" href=\"\/\/securepubads.g.doubleclick.net\">\n<link rel=\"dns-prefetch\" href=\"\/\/use.typekit.net\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" type=\"application\/rss+xml\" title=\"CyberScoop \u00bb Feed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/feed\/\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" type=\"application\/rss+xml\" title=\"CyberScoop \u00bb Comments Feed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/comments\/feed\/\"> <link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"all-css-0\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-includes\/css\/dist\/block-library\/style.min.css?m=1698677826g\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"all\"> <link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"all-css-4\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/search\/elasticpress-next\/dist\/css\/related-posts-block-styles.min.css?m=1697708085g\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"all\"> <link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"all-css-6\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/themes\/scoopnewsgroup\/dist\/css\/frontend.css?m=1698166067g\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"all\">\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"typekit-css\" href=\"https:\/\/use.typekit.net\/itk2qbh.css?ver=7dab012cdc88b5676610\" media=\"all\"> <link rel=\"https:\/\/api.w.org\/\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/\"><link rel=\"alternate\" type=\"application\/json\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77834\"><link rel=\"EditURI\" type=\"application\/rsd+xml\" title=\"RSD\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/xmlrpc.php?rsd\">\n<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"WordPress 6.3.2\">\n<link rel=\"shortlink\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=77834\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" type=\"application\/json+oembed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/oembed\/1.0\/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcyberscoop.com%2Fwhite-house-ai-executive-order-cybersecurity%2F\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text\/xml+oembed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/oembed\/1.0\/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcyberscoop.com%2Fwhite-house-ai-executive-order-cybersecurity%2F&format=xml\">   <link rel=\"icon\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=32\" sizes=\"32x32\">\n<link rel=\"icon\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=192\" sizes=\"192x192\">\n<link rel=\"apple-touch-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=180\">\n<meta name=\"msapplication-TileImage\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=270\"> <\/head><body class=\"post-template-default single single-post postid-77834 single-format-standard\" id=\"readabilityBody\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/white-house-ai-executive-order-cybersecurity\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.373776908023\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"29.503225806452\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/news\/cybersecurity\/\"> <span>Cybersecurity<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Long-awaited EO attempts to toe the line between harnessing artificial intelligence\u2019s vast capabilities and protecting \u201cAmericans from the potential risks of AI systems.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks.jpg?resize=640%2C429&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg 8096w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=768,515 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=1024,686 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=1536,1029 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=2048,1372 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=600,402 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=251,168 251w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=503,337 503w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=1008,675 1008w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks-1.jpg?resize=1258,843 1258w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\"><figcaption> President Joe Biden speaks about artificial intelligence at the White House after meeting with several AI and tech executives on July 21, 2023.(Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds\/AFP via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"72.819260096018\"><body readability=\"146.27466590844\"><\/p>\n<p>The White House announced a long-awaited executive order on Monday that attempts to mitigate the security risks of artificial intelligence while harnessing the potential benefits of the technology. <\/p>\n<p>Coming nearly a year after the release of ChatGPT \u2014 the viral chatbot that captured public attention and kicked off the current wave of AI frenzy \u2014 Monday\u2019s executive order aims to walk a fine line between over-regulating a new and potentially groundbreaking technology and addressing its risks.<\/p>\n<p>The order directs leading AI labs to notify the U.S. government of training runs that produce models with potential national security risks, instructs the National Institutes of Standards and Technology to develop frameworks for how to adversarially test AI models, and establishes an initiative to harness AI to automatically find and fix software vulnerabilities, among other measures. <\/p>\n<p>Addressing questions of privacy, fairness and existential risks associated with AI models, Monday\u2019s order is a sweeping attempt to lay the groundwork for a regulatory regime at a time when policymakers around the world are scrambling to write rules for AI. A White House fact sheet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2023\/10\/30\/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence\/\">describes<\/a> the order as containing \u201cthe most sweeping actions ever taken to protect Americans from the potential risks of AI systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Experts welcomed the order on Monday but cautioned that its potential impacts will depend on how it is implemented and the ability to fund various initiatives. Key provisions of the order, such as a call for addressing the privacy risks of AI models, will require Congress to act on federal privacy legislation, a legislative priority that remains stalled. <\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a statement that while he is \u201cimpressed by the breadth\u201d of the order, \u201cmuch of these just scratch the surface \u2014 particularly in areas like health care and competition policy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile this is a good step forward, we need additional legislative measures, and I will continue to work diligently to ensure that we prioritize security, combat bias and harmful misuse, and responsibly roll out technologies,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n<p>More broadly, the executive order represents a shift in how Washington approaches technology regulation and is informed in part by the failure to regulate social media platforms. Having failed to address the impact of social media platforms on everything from elections to teen mental health, policymakers in Washington are keen to not be caught flat-footed again in writing rules for AI. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis proactive approach is radically different from how the government has regulated new technologies in the past, and for good reason,\u201d said Chris Wysopal, the CTO and co-founder of Veracode. \u201cThe same \u2018wait and see\u2019 strategy that the government took to regulate the internet and social media is not going to work here.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This proactive approach, however, is one that some industry groups and free-market advocates caution could stifle innovation at an early stage of AI innovation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe administration is adopting an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to AI policy that is, at once, extremely ambitious and potentially overzealous,\u201d said Adam Thierer, a senior fellow at the free-market think tank R Street. \u201cThe order represents a potential sea change in the nation\u2019s approach to digital technology markets as federal policymakers appear ready to shun the open innovation model that made American firms global leaders in almost all computing and digital technology sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Monday\u2019s order takes a series of steps to address some of the most severe potential risks of AI, including its threat to critical infrastructure and its potential use as an aid to create novel biological weapons, in the design of nuclear weapons or the creation of malicious software.<\/p>\n<p>To address growing concerns that AI could be used to supercharge disinformation used to influence elections \u2014 especially in next year\u2019s presidential election \u2014 Monday\u2019s order will require the Department of Commerce to develop guidance for \u201ccontent authentication and watermarking\u201d to show clearly labeled marks for AI-generated content.<\/p>\n<p>The administration\u2019s initiative to build cybersecurity tools to automatically find and fix software flaws builds on <a href=\"https:\/\/defensescoop.com\/radio\/darpa-program-manager-perri-adams\/\">an ongoing competition<\/a> at the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, and experts on Monday welcomed the focus on trying to harness AI to deliver broad improvements in computer security. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The goal is to raise the barrier to entry in using these tools to either create malware or assist in cyber operations. \u201cIt feels like the early days of antivirus,\u201d said David Brumley, a cybersecurity professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the CEO of the cybersecurity firm ForAllSecure. \u201cI know it\u2019s malicious when I see it and I can prevent that same malicious thing from occurring, but it\u2019s hard to proactively prevent someone from creating more malware.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brumley cautioned that the agencies that Monday\u2019s order relies on to implement new safety initiatives may lack the capacity to carry them out. The order, for example, calls on NIST to develop standards for performing safety tests of AI systems and directs the Department of Homeland Security to apply those standards to the critical infrastructure sectors it oversees. <\/p>\n<p>NIST will likely have to engage with outside experts to develop these standards, as it currently lacks the right know-how. \u201cThey\u2019re relying on very traditional government agencies like NIST that have no expertise in this,\u201d Brumley said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/dhs-homeland-threat-assessment\/\">DHS\u2019 Homeland Threat Assessment<\/a> recently called out AI as one of the more pertinent threats to critical infrastructure, warning that China and other adversaries are likely to use AI to develop industrial-specific malware.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMalicious cyber actors have begun testing the capabilities of AI-developed malware and AI-assisted software development \u2014 technologies that have the potential to enable larger scale, faster, efficient, and more evasive cyber attacks \u2014 against targets, including pipelines, railways, and other U.S. critical infrastructure,\u201d the DHS report reads.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The federal government is beginning to address these threats, as with the National Security Agency\u2019s announcement last month of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/3541838\/ai-security-center-to-open-at-national-security-agency\/\">AI Security Center<\/a> that will oversee the development and use of AI. Monday\u2019s order contains additional initiatives to address these more narrow security concerns, including the creation of an AI Safety and Security Board housed within DHS. What authority will be given to the board and its similarity to other review bodies, such as the Cyber Safety Review Board, remain to be seen.<\/p>\n<p>The order also calls on the National Security Council and White House chief of staff to develop a national security memorandum that lays out how the military and intelligence community will use AI \u201csafely, ethically, and effectively\u201d in missions, as well as direct actions to counter adversary use of AI.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest Podcasts\t<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"top-categories\">\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Technology<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Government<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/main> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--bottom \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"interstitial\" class=\"welcome__container\"> <button id=\"close-modal-1\" class=\"welcome__clickable_area\"><\/button> <\/p>\n<div class=\"welcome__ad_wrapper\">\n<p> <button id=\"close-modal-3\" class=\"welcome__continue-button\">Continue to CyberScoop<\/button> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>   <\/body> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/white-house-ai-executive-order-cybersecurity\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>White House executive order on AI seeks to address security<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[235,1116,78,310,639],"tags":[236,1117,86,311,641],"class_list":["post-1956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai","category-ai-executive-order","category-cybersecurity","category-technology","category-white-house","tag-ai","tag-ai-executive-order","tag-cybersecurity","tag-technology","tag-white-house"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"Cyber Scoop","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/cyberscoop\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/ai\/\" rel=\"category tag\">AI<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/ai-executive-order\/\" rel=\"category tag\">AI executive order<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/cybersecurity\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Cybersecurity<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/technology\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Technology<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/white-house\/\" rel=\"category tag\">White House<\/a>","tag_info":"White House","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

{"id":1956,"date":"2023-10-30T17:42:24","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T17:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=77834"},"modified":"2023-10-30T17:42:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T17:42:24","slug":"white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2023\/10\/30\/white-house-executive-order-on-ai-seeks-to-address-security-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"White House executive order on AI seeks to address security risks"},"content":{"rendered":"