Lawmakers are working to design policies to address concerns raised by U.S. national security officials who have warned repeatedly that foreign adversaries have gained access to large amounts of Americans’ personal data through various measures, such as hacking and through the use of apps. Emphasis has been placed on China’s ability to carry out economic espionage through intellectual property theft and its capacity to influence U.S. elections through targeted influence campaigns.
Last week, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) questioned witnesses on how the Chinese Communist Party could use genomic data with artificial intelligence (AI) against the United States. Lindsay Gorman, Senior Fellow for Emerging Technologies at the German Marshall Fund, noted that China could engage in DNA surveillance and create personalized bioweapons. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) warned that Big Tech auctions data off to companies that can build dossiers about government and military officials and sell it to China and Russia. Sen. Cortez Masto (D-NV) highlighted the need to include data privacy protections in forthcoming AI legislation.
The Federal government has also voiced apprehension that AI could be used to mine personal data more efficiently due to its ability to identify, sort, and analyze vast amounts of information at a high speed. Specifically, AI could be used to target and blackmail federal employees through its ability to recognize patterns and identify individuals with links to the government.
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