Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco journeyed to San Francisco this week to attend the 2024 RSA Cybersecurity Conference. The trip was part of her effort to highlight the Justice Department's initiatives in combating cybercrime and other persistent and emerging threats to national security, including the misuse of disruptive technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI).
During a keynote conversation at RSA titled "Artificial Intelligence: The Ultimate Double-Edged Sword," Monaco emphasized how the Justice Department is establishing safeguards to leverage AI benefits while mitigating risks associated with its misuse. She elaborated on AI's potential role in identifying, disrupting, and deterring criminals, terrorists, and hostile nation-states. Additionally, she shared insights into how the Department uses AI tools to expedite responses to various threats.
Monaco underscored that existing laws provide a robust foundation for confronting AI misuse as the legal framework around AI continues to evolve. She also warned about AI's potential to amplify existing threats to election security during a year when over half of the global population will vote. Moreover, she called for vigilance against AI's potential to accelerate online hate speech and disinformation, mimic trusted information sources, and propagate deepfakes.
At the 14th Annual Executive Dinner at RSA, former FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce interviewed Monaco about the progress of the Department’s Justice AI Initiative. This initiative was launched by Monaco in February at the University of Oxford and brings together stakeholders from industry, academia, law enforcement, and civil society to share expertise on both AI's promise and perils.
In an RSA CEO Roundtable discussion with other senior government officials and cybersecurity industry leaders, Monaco emphasized public-private collaboration’s importance in protecting victims and prioritizing disruptions as part of the Department’s cyber strategy. She highlighted how such partnerships have hastened both the speed and scale of disruptive operations within the Justice Department. These collaborations have been crucial in dismantling nation-state-controlled botnets, shutting down darknet marketplaces, and disrupting major ransomware gangs.
Monaco also led a roundtable hosted by the Aspen Institute, where she met with technology, financial, and venture capital executives to discuss the collective risks posed by the theft and misuse of disruptive technologies, particularly AI. She highlighted the work of the Justice Department’s Disruptive Technology Strike Force in preventing adversaries from exploiting critical technologies and innovations.
While in California, Monaco visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento. She met with U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and his team, thanking them for their dedication to the Department's mission. Monaco also discussed collaboration strategies to tackle violent crime and other public safety challenges with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.