(Washington) The White House on Wednesday launched a competition for the creation of cybersecurity technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), in order to better protect national security, as well as American administrations and infrastructure.
Organized by Darpa, the US Army’s science agency, the competition dubbed “AI Cyber Challenge” (AIxCC) will offer prizes of more than $18 million in total “to identify and repair computer flaws using the ‘IA,” the U.S. Presidency said in a statement.
The competition between the teams is set to last two years and includes the collaboration of major AI companies: Anthropic, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI.
“IT defenders are tasked with protecting a massive maze of technology, and at this point they don’t have the tools to deliver security on the scale. Hence the cyberattacks seen in recent years, which pose serious national security risks,” Perri Adams, a DARPA official, said at a press conference.
“Recent advancements in AI, used responsibly, hold tremendous potential to secure our computer code […] and gain a competitive edge in defense,” she added.
In recent months, President Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris have mostly emphasized the dangers associated with the rapid deployment of highly sophisticated, still poorly understood AI technologies, and the responsibility of leaders in this sector to protect society. risks (fraud, disinformation, unemployment, etc.).
But with this competition, the White House hopes to show “the potential benefits of AI to help secure software used on the internet, across society, from the electrical grids that supply America’s power to transportation systems.” that govern daily life,” the statement said.
For years, computer attacks have targeted companies, private and public institutions and government departments in many countries, including the United States.
Last May, the United States and its Western allies accused a Chinese-sponsored “cyber actor” of quietly infiltrating US critical infrastructure. In July, official sources reported that the US government had been the target of a Chinese cyberattack targeting the State Department in particular.
