DHS Releases Plan to Protect WMDs and Critical Infra from AI Threats

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released new guidelines to address AI threats to critical infrastructure and a report on AI misuse in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) development.

These guidelines complement the Department's wider initiatives aimed at safeguarding national critical infrastructure and facilitating AI utilization.

Among these efforts is the recent formation of the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board.

The board brings together technology and critical infrastructure executives, civil rights leaders, academics, state and local government officials, and policymakers, with the mission of promoting responsible AI development and deployment.

“AI can present transformative solutions for U.S. critical infrastructure, and it also carries the risk of making those systems vulnerable in new ways to critical failures, physical attacks, and cyber attacks. Our Department is taking steps to identify and mitigate those threats,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas.

“DHS is more committed than ever to advancing the responsible use of AI for homeland security missions and promoting nationwide AI safety and security, building on the unprecedented progress made by this Administration. We will continue embracing AI’s potential while guarding against its harms.”

DHS, with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), issued new guidelines to tackle cross-sector AI risks affecting US critical infrastructure safety. 

Organized into three categories, they address AI-enhanced physical or cyber attacks, targeted assaults on infrastructure AI systems, and flaws in AI design or execution leading to operational disruptions.

Countering Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Threats

The DHS worked with its Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) to analyze the risk of AI being misused to assist in the development or production of CBRN threats, and analyze and provide recommended steps to mitigate potential threats to the homeland.

“The responsible use of AI holds great promise for advancing science, solving urgent and future challenges, and improving our national security, but AI also requires that we be prepared to rapidly mitigate the misuse of AI in the development of chemical and biological threats,” said Assistant Secretary for CWMD Mary Ellen Callahan.