Senate Intelligence Committee questions government and tech sector's readiness to address foreign entities trying to influence 2024 elections

By lauraharris // 2024-05-23

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The Senate Intelligence Committee has questioned the readiness of federal agencies and Big Tech amid a growing threat of foreign adversaries attempting to influence the upcoming 2024 election. During a May 16 hearing, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) stressed the sophisticated and aggressive Russian and other adversary disinformation campaigns. Warner warned that these efforts could surpass those seen in previous elections in both scale and scope, owing to advanced technology and increased distrust among Americans. "We’ve got to do a better job of making sure Americans of all political stripes understand what is very probably coming their way over the next … less than six months," said Warner. Warner criticized the seemingly reduced commitment of social media platforms to combat so-called disinformation due to staff cuts and decreased efforts to moderate harmful content since 2022. He noted that this disinvestment has left the United States more vulnerable to foreign influence operations. (Related: Are OpenAI and the White House colluding to influence elections?) Committee Ranking Member Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) echoed Warner's statements. Rubio questioned the clarity and coordination of the federal response to potential disinformation campaigns. "When this happens, if this happens, who’s in charge of responding to it? Have we thought through the process of what do we do when one of these scenarios occurs?" Rubio asked. "Because I don’t think I have a clear understanding of who’s in charge and how we would respond. Who would take the lead?" Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines claimed during the hearing that protecting the democratic process is a top priority for the intelligence community. She acknowledged the involvement of multiple foreign actors and commercial firms in spreading disinformation. Haines cited a recent incident where a Russian-affiliated group, Storm-1516, disseminated a false video claiming a Central Intelligence Agency plot against former President Donald Trump. She categorically denied the claims and affirmed that the intelligence community is prepared to counter such falsehoods swiftly. "Russia remains the most active foreign threat to our elections," Haines claimed, detailing Moscow's efforts to undermine U.S. democratic institutions and exacerbate internal divisions. She also highlighted the different approaches of China and Iran, noting that while China avoids direct election interference, Iran is now increasingly aggressive in its disinformation campaigns. Furthermore, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly reinforced that election systems have been significantly fortified since 2016, with supposedly no evidence of vote tampering in elections since then. "There is no evidence that malicious actors changed, deleted or altered votes or had any material impact on the outcome of any of these elections," she said. But added: "We cannot be complacent."

Bipartisan senators urge $32 billion AI funding to maintain U.S. lead over China

In line with threats from foreign adversaries, a bipartisan group of senators has urged Congress to approve $32 billion in funding for artificial intelligence research over the next three years. This was proposed by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Todd Young (R-IN), along with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) The proposal, detailed in a 33-page report released the same day of the hearing, highlights the necessity for the U.S. to "harness the opportunities and address the risks" associated with the rapidly advancing technology. The report offers comprehensive policy recommendations to ensure the U.S. remains ahead of China in the rapidly evolving technology sector. "If China is going to invest $50 billion, and we're going to invest in nothing, they'll inevitably get ahead of us. So that's why even these investments are so important," Schumer said. The proposed roadmap seeks to address growing concerns over China's advancements in AI. U.S. officials worry that Beijing could leverage AI to interfere in other nations' elections, develop bioweapons, or execute sophisticated cyberattacks. These concerns were underscored during the first formal bilateral talks on AI between U.S. and Chinese officials earlier this week. Moreover, the senators argue that the funding would be allocated to non-defense applications of AI, encompassing a comprehensive cross-government AI research and development initiative. This includes an "AI-ready data" program and enhanced government AI testing and evaluation infrastructure. Follow Rigged.news for more news about election integrity. Watch Ivan Raiklin warn Dan Happel of a cover-up that will follow a steal of the 2024 election on the Brighteon.TV program "Connecting The Dots." This video is from the BrighteonTV channel on Brighteon.com.

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Bipartisan senators urge $32 billion AI funding to maintain U.S. lead over China

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