US Government proposing new restirictions on the export of AI and various other technologies for national security reasons

[notEnoughCores]

Sources: US Government Publishing Office, MIT Technology Review

 

As someone who designs natural language processing algorithms, I naturally have great concerns as to what effect a export restriction will have on the business of AI. My concern is not the only one to be had, for example, systems on chips are crucially important to smart phones. Should an export ban be put in place, every smart phone manufacturer will move to country where there is not an export ban. These new laws only prohibit exporting these technologies from the US, not importing them from a country like Taiwan. Overall these rules will be terrible for the US and it's businesses.

 

Below is a list of items the US Department of Commerce is thinking of putting an export ban on. Link to source.

For a better look at what this could mean for AI, take a look at this article by MIT Technology Review.

 

While quite a few of these things will not effect the average person, I highlighted a few that I thought would probably be important.

Quote

The representative general categories

of technology for which (The US Department of Commerce)

currently seeks to determine whether

there are specific emerging technologies

that are essential to the national security

of the United States include:

(1) Biotechnology, such as:

(i) Nanobiology;

(ii) Synthetic biology;

(iv) Genomic and genetic engineering;

or

(v) Neurotech.

(2) Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology, such as:

(i) Neural networks and deep learning (e.g., brain modelling, time series prediction, classification);

(ii) Evolution and genetic computation (e.g., genetic algorithms, genetic programming);

(iii) Reinforcement learning;

(iv) Computer vision (e.g., object recognition, image understanding);

(v) Expert systems (e.g., decision support systems, teaching systems);

(vi) Speech and audio processing (e.g., speech recognition and production);

(vii) Natural language processing (e.g., machine translation);

(viii) Planning (e.g., scheduling, game playing);

(ix) Audio and video manipulation technologies (e.g., voice cloning, deepfakes);

(x) AI cloud technologies; or

(xi) AI chipsets.

(3) Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology.

(4) Microprocessor technology, such as:

(i) Systems-on-Chip (SoC); or

(ii) Stacked Memory on Chip.

(5) Advanced computing technology, such as:

(i) Memory-centric logic.

(6) Data analytics technology, such as:

(i) Visualization;

(ii) Automated analysis algorithms; or

(iii) Context-aware computing.

(7) Quantum information and sensing technology, such as

(i) Quantum computing;

(ii) Quantum encryption; or

(iii) Quantum sensing.

(8) Logistics technology, such as:

(i) Mobile electric power;

(ii) Modeling and simulation;

(iii) Total asset visibility; or

(iv) Distribution-based Logistics Systems (DBLS).

(9) Additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing);

(10) Robotics such as:

(i) Micro-drone and micro-robotic systems;

(ii) Swarming technology;

(iii) Self-assembling robots;

(iv) Molecular robotics;

(v) Robot compliers; or

(vi) Smart Dust.

(11) Brain-computer interfaces, such as

(i) Neural-controlled interfaces;

(ii) Mind-machine interfaces;

(iii) Direct neural interfaces; or

(iv) Brain-machine interfaces.

(12) Hypersonics, such as:

(i) Flight control algorithms;

(ii) Propulsion technologies;

(iii) Thermal protection systems; or

(iv) Specialized materials (for structures, sensors, etc.).

(13) Advanced Materials, such as:

(i) Adaptive camouflage;

(ii) Functional textiles (e.g., advanced fiber and fabric technology); or

(iii) Biomaterials.

(14) Advanced surveillance technologies, such as: Faceprint and voiceprint technologies.

 

 

[Misanthrope]

Looks like somebody finally managed to get through to the orange guy to tell him "You know the manufacturing stuff is mostly crap, it's been 50 years since it isn't relevant focus on what we offer like now, today, instead of trying to go back to the 1950s"

[HarryNyquist]

The fuck?

 

If you live in the US, comment on this. https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=BIS-2018-0024-0001

 

Responses are Due Dec 19 2018, at 11:59 PM ET

[Blademaster91]

10 minutes ago, Misanthrope said:

Looks like somebody finally managed to get through to the orange guy to tell him "You know the manufacturing stuff is mostly crap, it's been 50 years since it isn't relevant focus on what we offer like now, today, instead of trying to go back to the 1950s"

What? Manufacturing is extremely important for security,especially when China steals IP and plants spy chips.

[Misanthrope]

6 minutes ago, Blademaster91 said:

What? Manufacturing is extremely important for security,especially when China steals IP and plants spy chips.

And why is "security" so important? Following that why does the US has so many enemies? Why does one country needs military bases on every single other country on the planet?

 

We can go on but it gets off topic but let's leave it at this: I disagree, "security" shouldn't be #1 concern it's a very transparent way to sell Nationalism but the backdrop it that it creates enemies and treats that are always exaggerated and mostly imaginary.

[Beskamir]

Hasn't this already happened back in the day computers were first being developed? They had to print encryption stuff into books and then ship the books out cause they couldn't just share it normally...

 

Basically I doubt this will be as effective as those government fools think it'll be but I guess they can always try to change the laws of mathematics like that idiot in Australasia tried to do

[Taf the Ghost]

Export Controls. If you've dealt with Encryption, it's just part of the "game". It's NatSec technology, this was always going to happen.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Misanthrope said:

And why is "security" so important? Following that why does the US has so many enemies? Why does one country needs military bases on every single other country on the planet?

 

We can go on but it gets off topic but let's leave it at this: I disagree, "security" shouldn't be #1 concern it's a very transparent way to sell Nationalism but the backdrop it that it creates enemies and treats that are always exaggerated and mostly imaginary.

If you're the most powerful country in the world, you want to stay that way.

[Trik'Stari]

Google refusing to do drone/AI work for the US government and their willingness to work for the Chinese government to continue the subjugation of the Chinese population, should be seen as an act of treason.

 

If not a crime against humanity.

[Misanthrope]

36 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

If you're the most powerful country in the world, you want to stay that way.

Yeah: Bullies usually like to keep being bullies I am well aware. But let's just call that what it is not concerns about "security" the only enemies their country has they have earned.

[Guest]

Just now, Misanthrope said:

Yeah: Bullies usually like to keep being bullies I am well aware. But let's just call that what it is not concerns about "security" the only enemies your country has your country has earned.

Thats a pretty small minded view. The US doesn't bully other countries, but rather has a large influence as a result of their dominance on the world stage. This gives them a pivotal role in getting the best from many trade, security and peace deals. The US is not a 'mean' country, but prominent due to its excellent infrastructure and great wealth as a result of natural resources and engineering powerhouse, not to mention its ideal location and size. 

[asus killer]

The US is completely out of control on the crazyness. Just another sad episode.

 

#rakeAmericaGreatAgain

 

[porina]

It is unclear to me what restrictions they are thinking of putting in place. There already exists export controls, so does this go a step further and prevent the export to anywhere?

[Teddy07]

Doesn´t really matter for China for example because they announced to invest billions in AI. Just google if you interested because there are many articles.

[Misanthrope]

9 hours ago, RorzNZ said:

Thats a pretty small minded view. The US doesn't bully other countries, but rather has a large influence as a result of their dominance on the world stage. This gives them a pivotal role in getting the best from many trade, security and peace deals. The US is not a 'mean' country, but prominent due to its excellent infrastructure and great wealth as a result of natural resources and engineering powerhouse, not to mention its ideal location and size. 

Yeah, they  surely  do not

[kilgore_T]

17 minutes ago, Misanthrope said:

Yeah, they  surely  do not

[williamcll]

So what's stopping me from buying AI software from other countries?

[notEnoughCores]

Nothing, you just can't sell it to other countries.

[Real_PhillBert]

People dont think ITAR be like it is; but it do.

[Sauron]

Idiotic. Only a moron would think of regulating the export of software... oh wait!

 

I guess the US will just roll itself into its shell and come out in 50 years to find the world has moved on without them.

On 11/21/2018 at 3:11 AM, RorzNZ said:

Thats a pretty small minded view. The US doesn't bully other countries, but rather has a large influence as a result of their dominance on the world stage. This gives them a pivotal role in getting the best from many trade, security and peace deals. The US is not a 'mean' country, but prominent due to its excellent infrastructure and great wealth as a result of natural resources and engineering powerhouse, not to mention its ideal location and size. 

Bull, the US has been at war almost constantly in the last century and I would argue the last conflict in which they had a positive impact was the second world war. Since then, its wars have been motivated by greed for natural resources and strategic geographical locations. The US became prominent because of its military and almost no other reason. Silicon valley sort of changed that, but this law on export would pretty much kill it, so yeah.

On 11/21/2018 at 2:42 AM, Trik'Stari said:

Google refusing to do drone/AI work for the US government and their willingness to work for the Chinese government to continue the subjugation of the Chinese population, should be seen as an act of treason.

 

If not a crime against humanity.

They should avoid working for China's regime under such terms, but that doesn't mean they should be forced to work for the US military... "treason" is such an antiquated idea that I cringe every time I hear the word. Who are they "betraying" by refusing to build more death machines for a country that isn't under threat of invasion and has more armaments than any other country on Earth? This is a straight up feudal mindset.

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Sauron said:

 

Bull, the US has been at war almost constantly in the last century and I would argue the last conflict in which they had a positive impact was the second world war. Since then, its wars have been motivated by greed for natural resources and strategic geographical locations. The US became prominent because of its military and almost no other reason. Silicon valley sort of changed that, but this law on export would pretty much kill it, so yeah.

 

Why do you try and convince me otherwise when i’m way to stubborn to see any different and think i’m always right? 

 

The US was, and still is a manufacture powerhouse and most of the worlds money moves through the US, they can well afford the huge military and market domination.

[Sauron]

3 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

The US was, and still is a manufacture powerhouse and most of the worlds money moves through the US, they can well afford the huge military and market domination.

Meanwhile they have third world levels of poverty in their population, their largest corporations produce the majority of their products oversea, their public education is trash tier, it costs less to take a plane to Europe and get surgery there than to pay for it in the US, their communications infrastructure is awful in most of the country and a handful of people hoard the majority of the country's riches. I'd say they can't really afford to spend what they do in their military, but that's just me.

[straight_stewie]

So this would be blatant and unenforceable censorship. If they are listing algorithms as a non exportable item (which ops list says they would be), then you can't talk about them on the internet. Additionally, some of these things are so vague and wide ranging as to make it impossible for any technology centric US company to exist.

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Meanwhile they have third world levels of poverty in their population, their largest corporations produce the majority of their products oversea, their public education is trash tier, it costs less to take a plane to Europe and get surgery there than to pay for it in the US, their communications infrastructure is awful in most of the country and a handful of people hoard the majority of the country's riches. I'd say they can't really afford to spend what they do in their military, but that's just me.

Doesn’t mean they aren’t incredible powerful and hold a huge influence. You have to remember no one likes to spend their own money. Not saying it’s right but they have their results of other countries have theirs.

[Sauron]

2 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

Doesn’t mean they aren’t incredible powerful and hold a huge influence. You have to remember no one likes to spend their own money. Not saying it’s right but they have their results of other countries have theirs.

They're going to lose that influence if they keep this up.