Kean Urges AI Companies to Tackle Security Risks Amid Rising Threats

(December 11, 2024) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) sent several letters to the CEOs of major U.S. artificial intelligence companies to follow up on the voluntary commitments they’ve made, expressing deep concerns over a series of significant security lapses that threaten the safety and security of advanced AI technology.   

Congressman Kean’s letter calls for immediate Congressional oversight and urges the AI companies to provide a detailed overview of their efforts to prevent security breaches and safeguard AI technologies. Additionally, Congressman Kean seeks clarity on how these companies are fulfilling their commitments to the White House and fostering a culture of security within the industry as a whole. 

The letter addresses troubling incidents, including allegations of a Google employee leaking sensitive trade secrets to Chinese companies, a hacker gaining unauthorized access to OpenAI’s systems, and Meta’s open-source AI models being used by Chinese firms to advance their own AI capabilities. Congressman Kean emphasized that these breaches could potentially expose U.S. technological breakthroughs to theft by foreign adversaries, particularly the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), amid growing concerns over Chinese espionage efforts on an “unprecedented scale.” 

Congressman Kean requested a response from each of the companies, detailing the steps they plan to take to increase the security of their products and prioritize transparency.   

Text of each of the letters can be found HERE.  

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