Five Indian Americans named  to AI Safety and Security Board 

Arvind Krishna, Satya Nadella, Shantanu Narayen, Sundar Pichai,  and Arati Prabhakar to advise on safe and secure development and deployment of AI technology

Five Indian American CEOs are among 22 inaugural members of the AI Safety and Security Board formed to ensure safe and secure development and deployment of AI technology in the nation’s critical infrastructure.

The board will advise the Secretary of Homeland Security, the critical infrastructure community, other private sector stakeholders, and the broader public on these issues, according to a DHS news release.

The Board’s 22 inaugural members include representatives from a range of sectors, including software and hardware company executives, critical infrastructure operators, public officials, the civil rights community, and academia.

READ: Six Indian American-led firms on Forbes’ AI 50 list (April 15, 2024)

The Board will develop recommendations to help critical infrastructure stakeholders, such as transportation service providers, pipeline and power grid operators, and internet service providers, more responsibly leverage AI technologies.

It will also develop recommendations to prevent and prepare for AI-related disruptions to critical services that impact national or economic security, public health, or safety.

Indian American members of the Board are: Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM;  Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft;  Shantanu Narayen, Chair and CEO of Adobe, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet; and Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; Director, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy;

DHS is responsible for the overall security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure, which hundreds of millions of Americans rely on every day to light their homes, conduct business, exchange information, and put food on the table, according to the release.

Critical infrastructure encompasses 16 sectors of American industry, including our defense, energy, agriculture, transportation, and internet technology sectors. The Board will advise DHS on ensuring the safe and responsible deployment of AI technology in these sectors in the years to come, and it will look to address threats posed by this technology to these vital services.

“Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology that can advance our national interests in unprecedented ways. At the same time, it presents real risks— risks that we can mitigate by adopting best practices and taking other studied, concrete actions,” said  Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

The Board will help DHS stay ahead of evolving threats posed by hostile nation-state actors and reinforce our national security by helping to deter and prevent those threats.

The DHS Homeland Threat Assessment of 2024 warns the public of the threat AI-assisted tools pose to our economic security and critical infrastructure, including how these technologies “have the potential to enable larger scale, faster, efficient, and more evasive cyber attacks—against targets, including pipelines, railways, and other US critical infrastructure.”

It also concludes that nation-states, including the People’s Republic of China, are developing “other AI technologies that could undermine US cyber defenses, including generative AI programs that support malicious activity such as malware attacks.”

Shantanu Narayen, Chair & CEO, Adobe: “Adobe is honored to be a part of the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board to share learnings and recommendations with Secretary Mayorkas and key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. This Board holds enormous potential to advance AI technology, establishing guidelines that will help AI enhance and secure our nation’s critical infrastructure while mitigating any risks it could pose.”

Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO, IBM: “Artificial intelligence is a game-changing technology that is making businesses smarter, stronger, and safer. AI’s ability to analyze threat information at scale can help protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, an imperative that I look forward to advancing as a member of the AI Safety and Security Board.”

Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft: “Artificial Intelligence is the most transformative technology of our time, and we must ensure it is deployed safely and responsibly. Microsoft is honored to participate in this important effort and looks forward to sharing both our learnings to date, and our plans going forward. We thank Secretary Mayorkas for including us in this important endeavor and look forward to the continued partnership.”

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Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; Director, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy: “AI is one of the most powerful technologies of our time. President Biden has made clear that we must manage AI’s risks so that we can seize its benefits. Thanks to Secretary Mayorkas for taking action to protect America’s critical infrastructure—our energy system, banking, health care, and communications—from AI risks and harms.”