South Iowa News

U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn and Abigail Spanberger have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing the threats posed by artificial intelligence to national security and the economy. The Artificial Intelligence Practices, Logistics, Actions, and Necessities Act (AI PLAN Act) seeks to prevent AI from being used maliciously by adversaries such as China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.

Representative Nunn emphasized the importance of developing a strategy to defend against potential misuse of AI technology, stating, “Artificial intelligence is an emerging technology that has created new opportunities and technological advancements to help move our society forward. There is also a ton of risk that our adversaries – like the Chinese Communist Party, North Korea, Russia, and Iran – will use it to generate misinformation, commit fraud, and perpetrate crimes.”

Meanwhile, Representative Spanberger highlighted the urgent need to address the gaps in defense against adversarial uses of AI, noting that "State-backed hackers and scammers — linked to the Chinese Communist Party, North Korea, Iran, and Russia — are already employing artificial intelligence to generate misinformation, commit fraud, and carry out financial crimes."

The bipartisan AI PLAN Act would require the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security to develop a comprehensive plan to combat malicious AI use. This includes utilizing current enforcement tools to combat fraud and financial crime, implementing new defense techniques, and promoting U.S. innovation in AI and other emerging technologies.

In a time where AI technology is increasingly being exploited for nefarious purposes, the introduction of this legislation signals a proactive approach by lawmakers to safeguard American businesses, markets, and families from foreign threats posed by the misuse of artificial intelligence.