September 29, 2023

Generative synthetic intelligence may very well be utilized by international adversaries to intervene in subsequent 12 months’s presidential election, President Joe Biden’s nominee to guide U.S. Cyber Command and the NSA warned Thursday.

“As we have a look at this election cycle, the world that we do have to think about that can be barely totally different would be the function of generative AI as a part of this,” Air Drive Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh instructed the Senate Armed Companies Committee throughout his second nomination listening to.

“And so our concern is international use trying to be a part of our electoral course of,” he added.

Haugh’s testimony provides him to a rising refrain of senior nationwide safety officers who’re apprehensive concerning the risk posed by the brand new know-how. Generative AI is the time period for instruments like ChatGPT that may create new, authentic-looking content material from textual content prompts.

Earlier this 12 months, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company Director Jen Easterly — whose company often companions with Cyber Command and others federal companies to safeguard U.S. elections — referred to as generative AI “the largest concern that we will take care of this century” as a result of it may be utilized by cybercriminals and nation states.

Haugh is uniquely certified to weigh in on international threats to the poll field. He co-led the primary iteration of a joint job power with NSA that aimed to guard the midterm election from international hackers.

He famous he had been “lucky” to take part within the Pentagon’s further election work as the top of sixteenth Air Drive (Air Forces Cyber) and most not too long ago in his present function as Cyber Command’s deputy chief.

Haugh, who appeared earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee final week and has already been accepted by the panel, sailed via his second affirmation listening to and sure can be cleared by Armed Companies subsequent week, earlier than lawmakers break for August recess.

What occurs after that is still unclear, as Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) maintains a blockade on senior army promotions to power the Protection Division to vary its abortion coverage.

Tuberville has spoken to Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin twice in current days and attended a committee briefing by the administration concerning the coverage. Nonetheless, none of that has managed to vary his thoughts.

Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has floated the potential for permitting a vote on the DoD coverage because the chamber works via its annual protection coverage invoice, however no vote has been scheduled.

Haugh would exchange Military Gen. Paul Nakasone within the dual-hat management function. Additionally awaiting a full Senate vote is Maj. Gen. William Hartman, who has been nominated to be Cyber Command’s new No. 2.

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Martin Matishak

Martin Matishak is a senior cybersecurity reporter for The Report. He spent the final 5 years at Politico, the place he coated Congress, the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence group and was a driving power behind the publication’s cybersecurity publication.