November 14, 2024

Response to Request For Comment: “Bolstering Data Center Growth, Resilience, and Security”

By: Janet Egan, Geoffrey Gertz, Caleb Withers and Grace Park

In a new submission to a request for comments from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), experts at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) write that enabling the development of data center infrastructure is essential to maintaining U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) leadership.

Through this submission, the authors respond to the NTIA’s request for comments on “the challenges surrounding data center growth, resilience and security in the United States amidst a surge of computing power demand due to the development of critical and emerging technologies” (NTIA–2024–0002). The authors comments focus on the relevance of data centers for AI.

Recommendations:

Address domestic energy bottlenecks by fast tracking permitting and increasing incentives for AI data center energy construction.
Work with the private sector, AI Safety Institutes (AISIs), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA) and other government agencies to develop and implement data center security standards proportionate to emerging risks.
Incentivize research and development for hardware-enabled security and governance features on AI chips.
To the extent possible, coordinate with international partners on AI data center security and governance, while safeguarding U.S. technology.
Work closely with competition agencies and AI experts to assess and, as appropriate, intervene to shape dynamics in the market for advanced compute provided by leading data centers to encourage competition and innovation across the AI stack.

Read the full comments:

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