White House Warns of Foreign Campaigns Targeting US AI Technology

Washington D.C. The White House has stated that foreign entities are conducting industrial-scale campaigns to steal American artificial intelligence (AI) technology. To counter this, the administration plans to work more closely with US AI companies. Michael Kratsios, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, noted in an internal memo that new information suggests foreign organizations, particularly those based in China, are misappropriating technology from American firms.

According to the memo, these entities are attempting to replicate American AI technology through a process known as "distillation." In this process, thousands of user accounts are used to interact with AI systems to extract proprietary information, which is then utilized to develop their own models. 

The memo states that such activities are designed to systematically undermine American research and development and gain access to sensitive information. To prevent this, the White House has announced four key steps: sharing more information with AI companies about attack methods and involved groups, increasing coordination with firms, developing standards for risk identification and mitigation, and seeking ways to hold foreign parties involved in such activities accountable.

However, the memo does not outline a clear plan regarding what specific actions will be taken against the foreign entities found guilty. In response, the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the US allegations, stating that China's technological development is the result of its own hard work and international cooperation. It also accused the US side of attempting to unfairly pressure Chinese companies. Leading AI firms, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have acknowledged that they are facing such "distillation" activities.