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Two US senators want to know how the government tracks and responds to the use of AI platforms by hackers to carry out cyberattacks.
“Foreign adversaries deploying autonomous systems pose new threats to U.S. cybersecurity.” AI systems require a strong response from the Office and other federal agencies,” said Sens. Maggie Hassan (D.N.H.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). wrote in Tuesday’s letter to National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross.
The bipartisan letter arrived weeks later. humanity revealed Hackers with ties to the Chinese government have been manipulating the company’s Claude platform to infiltrate companies and government agencies around the world. The attack, which Anthropic called “the first documented instance of a large-scale cyberattack carried out without substantial human intervention,” exacerbated concerns within the security community about the growing offensive capabilities of AI tools.
Mr. Hassan and Mr. Ernst asked Mr. Cairncross about his communications with Anthropic regarding the attacks, the response of other government agencies, whether Chinese-linked groups targeted the United States (and if they were successful, whether those attacks were successful), and whether the White House was aware of other similar incidents.
The senators also asked Cairncross, who took over the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) in August, about plans to work with AI companies to limit the technology’s potential use in cyberattacks.
ONCD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fears of AI hacking captivate Congress
While many U.S. lawmakers have championed the transformative potential of AI, Hassan and Ernst’s letter points to growing concerns on Capitol Hill about the technology’s serious harms.
In the Senate, Mr. Hassan is the senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, and Mr. Ernst is a member of the Armed Services Committee and its cyber subcommittee.
“We urge you to consider your office’s role in countering cyberattacks against the U.S. government and to continue working with Congress and other federal agencies to address this emerging national security threat,” the lawmakers wrote to Cairncross.
But it remains unclear how cybersecurity fits into the White House’s AI strategy, despite occasional bipartisan concerns in Congress. The Trump administration has focused more on the benefits of AI than on risks such as cybersecurity. white house AI action plan It says little about cybersecurity, but directs government agencies to help critical infrastructure organizations track and combat AI-related security threats.
