DHS wants government AI development to catch up on businesses

As time passes, AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives. Whether directly or indirectly, you are probably already benefiting from AI-powered services, even if you don’t realize it. LLMs serve more than just tech businesses. Any type of organization can take advantage of the technology, including governments. In line with that, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is urging the government to accelerate the development of AI tools.

DHS chief seeks government development of AI tools on par with AI business

Government organizations have already turned to the power of artificial intelligence. LLMs are perfect for streamlining processes that would take a long time with human actors. For example, the state of Nevada will rely on a Google AI to evaluate thousands of pending unemployment claims. In addition, big companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are collaborating with the US government to develop AI tools. However, for Alejandro N. Mayorkas, US DHS Secretary, that is not enough. He wants the government to catch up with AI-focused companies.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff asked Mayorkas about the risks of AI. The technology “can move in directions that we may not want it to move,” Benioff said. However, Mayorkas has a vision that involves creating governed frameworks to support the continuous and responsible development of AI. While the “responsible” word may sound like potential restrictions that could hinder innovation, Mayorkas says that’s not the case.

DHS’ AI Safety and Security Board will be the key

Mayorkas stated, “Our goal is to establish the conditions necessary for the realization of [AI] potential.” The representative wants to set frameworks under the DHS’ AI Safety and Security Board’s wing. The goal of the AI board is to create a development approach where every part of the AI ecosystem actively participates. This encompasses not only model developers but also “the cloud compute, the infrastructure entities that will be incorporating AI into their operations.”

Mayorkas adds that the DHS’ AI board wants to “capture the entire ecosystem and speak to them with a framework that defines roles and responsibilities, where everyone has a role to play and everyone has responsibilities to execute on.” The approach would not only enhance the continued development of AI tools for public and government use. It would also prevent AI development from “going off course,” as Benioff initially questioned.

Ultimately, the AI board’s actions should “demonstrate that government can move at the speed of business, that we can harness AI to advance our mission, while protecting the safety and security of our nation’s critical infrastructure,” Mayorkas said.