NSL Unscripted | Episode 17 – Government Accountability for the Use of AI with UVA Professor Ashley Deeks

This episode features Maj Fabiani Duarte, Associate Professor in the National Security Law Department at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, interviewing Ashley Deeks, UVA Law School Professor and recent White House associate counsel and deputy legal adviser to the National Security Council. In this episode, Professor Deeks discusses Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the military and the U.S. Executive branch with Maj Duarte. They also discuss Professor Deeks’ forthcoming publication, The Double Black Box: National Security, Artificial Intelligence, and the Struggle for Democratic Accountability which discusses the increasing reliance on AI by Executive branch agencies like the Department of Defense and CIA and how to hold the Executive branch accountable for the use of AI tools and machine-learning (ML) systems in high-risk national security settings. The “double black box” problem that Professor Deeks identifies is the customary secrecy of much of the business of the Executive branch, coupled with the opaque nature of AI/ML tools themselves, significantly complicating democratic oversight and accountability. Professor Deeks presents several potential solutions to help better govern AI tools employed by the U.S. government and also weighs in on the global AI agreements. The discussion also delves into Professor Deeks’ career working for the National Security Council, the State Department, and her current work as a law professor.
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