DoJ National Security Division Oversight Initiative
The Department of Justice National Security Division (NSD) “has dramatically broadened the scope of its national security oversight role,” according to a Department news release.
“The National Security Division plays a vital role in ensuring that national security investigations are conducted properly and with respect for the civil liberties and privacy interests of Americans,” said Matt Olsen, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Intelligence. “Our enhanced oversight efforts over the past year represent a solid foundation from which we will continue to build as we work with the FBI and other intelligence agencies to achieve this goal.”
The news release is silent on the results, if any, of the new oversight reviews performed by NSD personnel.
But Division spokesman Dean Boyd told Secrecy News generally that “These reviews were designed to identify compliance issues and they have served that purpose. Where they have identified issues, the reviews have helped provide the factual basis to take appropriate follow-up action.”
“One thing became increasingly clear: AI doesn’t simply introduce a new category of risk. It changes the speed, scale, complexity, and interaction of risks that already exist.”
In an ideal world, we would not have state or federal climate intervention research bans. We would have researchers and institutions that would not shy away from revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly of these technologies and doing so responsibly.
“What excites me is that it’s very tempting to be very discouraged, and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got these archaic institutions that are calcified and you could never change them.’ But I think we’re in the middle of a technological revolution that will upend lots of things, and does provide a window.”
Ask people what worries them most right now, and they’ll say the cost of living and their livelihoods, not climate change. But those concerns are not separate.