On Wednesday, the White House kickstarted a competition that presents an opportunity for coders and AI developers to win millions of dollars in prize money by developing innovative artificial intelligence systems capable of safeguarding critical software against hackers.
The Biden-led White House has a prize pool of $18.5 million to incentivize participants to create AI solutions that swiftly detect and address vulnerabilities in essential networks such as electric grids and subways, which could be exploited by malicious hackers. The competition is expected to encourage individuals and organizations to enhance the security of crucial software that underpins American society.
Arati Prabhakar, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, explained during a briefing that this competition serves as a rallying call to unleash the creativity of both individual as well as legacy organisations to fortify the security of vital software systems.
To amplify the engagement, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is overseeing the competition, plans to allocate $7 million to support small businesses interested in participating, as revealed by the White House.
DARPA has partnered with prominent AI technology leaders, including Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, to provide expertise and technology for the competition, as mentioned by Arati Prabhakar.
The primary objective of this challenge is to foster collaboration among diverse thinkers across the nation, exploring ways to utilize AI for a substantial enhancement of cybersecurity, as highlighted by Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology.
The announcement of this challenge took place at a cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, ahead of the Def Con event where hackers will attempt to breach various AI systems.
Prabhakar explained that during the event, thousands of participants will engage in “red teaming,” which involves rigorously testing AI models by simulating hacker-style attacks.
In the realm of cybersecurity, there exists a constant competition between offensive and defensive measures, as articulated by Neuberger. The application of AI is anticipated to provide an advantage to the defence by staying ahead of potential threats.
President Joe Biden previously discussed the significant potential and associated risks of AI during a meeting with tech leaders. These leaders, representing companies like Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI, are committed to fostering responsible innovation in the context of AI’s expanding influence on personal and business domains.
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