Using AI for environmental evaluations near military sites<\/p>\n
A bill introduced on Aug. 6 aims to fortify the U.S. military by improving the management of natural resources near military installations with the help of AI technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act<\/a> \u2014 introduced by Reps. George Whitesides, D-Calif., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla. \u2014 seeks to amend the Sikes Act of 1960 to modernize the Pentagon\u2019s conservation efforts for natural resources located on military bases.\u00a0<\/p>\n The bill would support the conservation provisions stipulated in the Sikes Act by mandating the Department of Defense to assess and, as deemed appropriate, apply AI and other technologies to help develop and maintain site-specific conservation goals and metrics. AI would be used to support the \u201cassessment of natural resources and ecosystem services as relevant to mission readiness, climate resilience, or community safety on military installations.\u201d<\/p>\n In applying advanced technologies like AI to evaluate the status of the environment and natural resources near military bases, Defense can then forecast and prevent natural disasters from impeding national security operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs our nation\u2019s military continues to protect our country, it is imperative that our bases and installations are prepared for potential threats, including natural disasters,\u201d said Whitesides in a press release<\/a>. \u201cIf a wildfire strikes a military installation, like we saw in Camp Pendleton earlier this year, it could shut down its operations, putting all of us at risk. Through the use of advanced technology and cutting-edge monitoring systems, our military can better understand the natural resources that exist on their installations, and take preventative actions to protect the installation from threats like natural disasters.\u201d<\/p>\n Monitoring AI in China<\/p>\n Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, introduced a measure on Aug. 7 that seeks to provide a closer look at China\u2019s AI stack manufacturing sector via an annual review.<\/p>\n The bill, the China AI Power Report Act<\/a>, tasks the secretaries of the departments of Commerce and State with spearheading an annual report on what China\u2019s government is doing to further advance its AI stack, specifically focusing on its supply chain operations.<\/p>\n The state of semiconductor chips being manufactured and employed in China is the starring topic of the report. The report would assess details like the processing power and efficiency of AI computing chips, corresponding software, chip manufacturing costs, and other chip design and sector details.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAmerica must continue to compete and win in the technology race, but we know that communist China\u2019s strategy has never been to compete, but to steal and exploit. This bipartisan package would strengthen our understanding of China\u2019s action, improve enforcement and protect American companies, workers and innovations from Chinese espionage,\u201d Husted said in a press release<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The inaugural report would be due 180 days following the bill\u2019s ratification, and then annually for three years. Select congressional committees would receive the report at an unclassified level.<\/p>\n Limiting adversaries\u2019 access to national labs<\/p>\n Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., introduced<\/a> a proposal on Friday that seeks to restrict foreign nationals\u2019 access to U.S. national laboratories if the individuals are from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea or Cuba.<\/p>\n The bill would prohibit covered foreign nationals from accessing national lab \u201cfacilities, information, or technology as visitors or long-term assignees.\u201d The Energy Department would also be given the authority to grant waivers after consulting with agency intelligence officials and FBI counterintelligence officials in instances \u201cwhen the benefits to the United States outweigh the national security and economic risks.\u201d<\/p>\n The measure, the Guarding American Technology from Exploitation \u2014 or GATE \u2014 Act, is a House companion to a bill introduced<\/a> by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in March.<\/p>\n \u201cChina, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have spent years targeting American innovation to close the technological gap with the United States,\u201d Harrigan said in a statement. \u201cThe GATE Act puts a clear safeguard around critical American research while preserving access when our own counterintelligence professionals determine it serves the national interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Shoring up the cybersecurity of U.S. water infrastructure<\/p>\n