Congress races to research AI-enhanced drones to maintain national security edge over China

AGI, while powerful, could have negative consequences, warned Diveplane CEO Mike Capps and Liberty Blockchain CCO Christopher Alexander. Legislation moving through the House would provide millions of dollars for research on how to incorporate artificial intelligence into drone technology in an effort to keep the U.S. ahead of China in this increasingly important component of national security. The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology last week approved legislation from committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., that he says needs to pass before China becomes locked in as the world's major supplier of drones. His bill, the National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Research and Development Act, would fund about $1.6 billion in research over the next five years to give a boost to U.S.-based drone manufacturers. "To say China has cornered this market is an understatement," Lucas said last week. "One single company with extensive ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army produces 80% of the drones used recreationally in the U.S." A staff member works on an unmanned aerial vehicle at Guizhou University in Guiyang, China, on May 23, 2023.