DHS Seeks Establishment of Internal Task Force Governing AI Use

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has called for the creation of a DHS Artificial Intelligence Task Force to be led by Undersecretary for Science and Technology Dimitri Kusnezov and Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen as co-chairpersons. Kusnezov and Hysen have been tasked to establish the working procedures of the internal task force. The two have also been authorized to select support staff, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Several tasks have been lined up for the DHS Artificial Intelligence Task Force, including the use of AI to prevent the entry of fentanyl into the United States. Mayorkas said the AITF should use the technology not only to detect fentanyl shipments but also to identify illegal drugs and disrupt the supply chain and inventory of these drugs. Rep. Dan Newhouse named China as the largest source of fentanyl, an illegal drug that, according to the Center for Disease Control data, is the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 to 45 years old.