The head of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) said today that the organization has stood up a new artificial intelligence (AI) task force that will focus on delivering AI capabilities for the cyber mission force operations.
Gen. Timothy Haugh said USCYBERCOM’s AI task force has three main focus areas: delivering AI capabilities for operations, enabling AI adoption, and countering AI threats.
“We have established an AI task force within the U.S. Cyber Command to move us from opportunistic AI application to systemic adoption driven by strategic and tactical objectives that will focus on three important outcomes,” Haugh said during the opening keynote of AFCEA International’s TechNet Cyber conference in Baltimore.
“First, we are partnering closely with the service cyber components and our AI Task Force. We are focused on delivering AI capability for the cyber mission force operations and are taking steps to integrate our AI Task Force even more closely with operations,” the general said.
He continued, “Second, we are posturing U.S. Cyber Command to enable AI adoption at scale by addressing many of the non-material issues, like policies and standards, that will be required to allow responsible, ethical, assured, and secure application of AI.”
“Finally, our no-fail mission means that we are laser focused to counter AI threats and exploit emerging opportunities,” he said.
Haugh said that USCYBERCOM’s designation as a Federal laboratory earlier this year will “enhance our capacity to drive innovation, collaborate with academia and industry leaders, and contribute significantly to advancements in the development of cyber technology.”
Haugh – who also services as the director of the National Security Agency (NSA) – noted that the establishment of NSA’s AI Security Center in 2023 is intended to protect against AI deployed by adversaries.
The NSA chief highlighted that last year, researchers within its Cybersecurity Collaboration Center identified 29,000 cyber vulnerabilities.
“At Cyber Command and NSA, we have two lenses when we talk AI: cybersecurity for AI and AI for cybersecurity,” he said. Haugh emphasized during his keynote speech that AI’s application and utility has the potential to advance cybersecurity operations on both ends of the spectrum.
