Artificial intelligence is already the foundation of the present and future of the tech industry. AI-powered technology has enabled great advancements in a short period of time—achievements that would have taken years with more traditional methods. For this reason, confidential information related to AI can be especially valuable. With this in mind, the CEO of Anthropic has warned about spies seeking to steal the United States’ AI secrets.
Corporate espionage is nothing new. The tech industry has dealt with such situations for decades. However, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, believes the issue can be specifically concerning when talking about AI. In the end, it’s not just about companies seeking to develop a better product than others to compete in the market. AI also involves developments applicable to the military that could pose a danger to US national security in the wrong hands.
Dario Amodei, Anthropic CEO, says Chinese spies are trying to obtain US AI secrets
Amodei is warning about efforts by spies, primarily of Chinese origin, to gain access to classified information about US AI. He claims that, once they have access to key sections of code, it could be easy for attackers to steal the secrets behind the development. After all, these are “algorithmic secrets” that may be present in just a few lines of code.
“Many of these algorithmic secrets, there are $100 million secrets that are just a few lines of code,” he said this week, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations event. “And, you know, I’m sure there are people trying to steal them, and they may be succeeding,” Amodei added. Anthropic’s CEO also noted that China has a long history of “large-scale industrial espionage.”
Amodei advocates for government intervention to keep US AI secrets from US companies safe from spies. He believes potential attackers could target Anthropic and other AI firms, emphasizing that it is “very important” to have the help of US authorities. However, he did not offer more specific details.
It’s noteworthy that this month, Anthropic sent a list of recommendations to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on how intelligence agencies could help AI companies protect AI development from foreign countries. The main concern is that countries like China will use US developments for military purposes.
Other voices advocate collaboration with China to develop AI
There are voices that oppose Amodei’s views on the AI industry. Some experts believe that the US should actually collaborate more with China to promote joint development of artificial intelligence. This could prevent a potential race to develop AI that could spiral out of control. Meanwhile, Amodei advocates for the US government to restrict AI development in China.
