[co-author: Andrea Fraser-Reid]

The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (the “Commission”), established by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, issued an interim report providing the Commission’s preliminary assessment of

• foreign threats to U.S. national security in the current AI era;
• how AI can improve the government’s ability to defend the U.S., cooperate with U.S. allies, and preserve a favorable balance of military power in the world;
• the relationship between AI and economic competitiveness as a component of U.S. national security, including the strength of the U.S. scientific research community and workforce; and
• ethical considerations in deploying AI systems for national security purposes.

The Commission is to submit its final report to Congress and terminate in October 2020, although the deadline may be extended.