Key facts
- US lawmakers introduced the AI Cyber Defense Act.
- The bill names North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba as countries of concern.
- The legislation aims to develop voluntary standards for detecting and preventing AI distillation attacks.
- NIST will establish an AI Cybersecurity Roundtable.
US lawmakers have introduced a bill aimed at strengthening American cybersecurity defenses against artificial intelligence (AI) attacks, naming North Korea and Iran among countries of concern. The AI Cyber Defense Act, introduced by Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) and Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA), would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to work with private-sector AI stakeholders to develop voluntary standards and best practices for detecting and preventing AI distillation attacks. AI distillation refers to a technique in which knowledge or capabilities from one AI model are transferred to another. The bill also requires NIST to establish an AI Cybersecurity Roundtable within 180 days of enactment.