The Department of Homeland Security unveiled its inaugural artificial intelligence roadmap Monday, March 18, introducing three pilot projects. The initiatives aim to improve investigations into fentanyl trafficking and child exploitation, support communities in disaster resilience planning through FEMA and enhance training for immigration officers.
The unprecedented speed and potential of AI’s development and adoption presents both enormous opportunities to advance our mission and risks we must mitigate.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized AI’s potential to significantly advance DHS operations, while also stressing the importance of mitigating its risks.
“The DHS AI roadmap and pilots will guide our efforts this year to strengthen our national security, improve our operations, and provide more efficient services to the American people, while upholding our commitment to protect civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy,” Mayorkas said. “What we learn from the pilot projects will be beneficial in shaping how the Department can effectively and responsibly use AI across the homeland security enterprise moving forward.”
Alongside the roadmap, the DHS presented an AI strategy outlining the technology’s use principles.
These efforts are part of the DHS’s wider commitment to responsibly utilize AI, ensure the safety, security, and trustworthiness of its development and application.
By collaborating with industry leaders such as Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, the DHS is focused on maintaining civil rights, liberties, and privacy.
Last year, the DHS established its first AI task force to pinpoint areas where artificial intelligence could enhance departmental efficiency. In February, Mayorkas initiated a significant recruitment drive to hire 50 AI specialists to support future projects.
