‘No time to waste’ in prepping governments for AI cyber threats, top Dem lawmaker says

Sen. Chuck Schumer urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enhance its coordination efforts with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to tackle artificial intelligence-driven cyber threats.
Schumer expressed concern over AI systems’ capability to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities faster than humans and emphasized the need for preparedness against potential AI-driven hacking of critical infrastructure.
He questioned DHS about its plans for coordination and collaboration with different levels of governments to assess risks, provide remediation solutions, and facilitate rapid vulnerability patching.
Schumer criticized the federal government’s decision to pull funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), asserting it was detrimental, especially given AI’s impact on the cyber threat landscape.
He requested DHS to present a plan for coordinating the national response to frontier AI-enabled hacking by July 1st and also asked for a nominee for the CISA leadership position.
Schumer underscored the urgency in addressing AI-related cyber threats to protect vital systems and prevent potential disruptions, comparing the situation to a race against AI-enabled hackers.