The head of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) said today that he has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) task force focused on providing AI capabilities for cyber mission command operations.
Gen. Timothy Howe said USCYBERCOM’s AI Task Force has three main focus areas: providing AI capabilities for operations, enabling AI adoption and countering AI threats.
“We have established an AI Task Force within U.S. Cyber Command to move from opportunistic applications of AI to a systematic deployment based on strategic and tactical objectives focused on three key outcomes,” Howe said during the opening keynote of AFCEA International’s TechNet Cyber conference in Baltimore.
“First, we are working closely with the Army’s cyber and AI task forces. We are committed to providing AI capabilities to Cyber Mission Force operations and are taking steps to more closely integrate the AI task force into operations,” the general said.
“Second, we are working with U.S. Cyber Command to enable the adoption of AI at scale by addressing many of the non-material issues, such as the policies and standards that will be needed to enable the responsible, ethical, secure and safe application of AI,” he added.
“Finally, our mission to not fail means we remain committed to countering AI threats and capitalizing on emerging opportunities,” he said.
Howe said U.S.CYBERCOM Federal Laboratory Designation The initiative, which launched earlier this year, will “strengthen our ability to drive innovation, collaborate with academic and industry leaders, and contribute significantly to advances in cyber technology development.”
Howe, who also serves as director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Establishment of NSA’s AI Security Center The AI defense system, due to be deployed in 2023, is intended to protect against AI deployed by adversaries.
The NSA director highlighted that researchers at the agency’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center identified 29,000 cyber vulnerabilities last year.
“At Cyber Command and NSA, we think about AI from two perspectives: cybersecurity for AI and AI for cybersecurity,” said Howe. During his keynote address, Howe emphasized that the applications and usefulness of AI have the potential to advance cybersecurity efforts at both ends.