NSA spends billions testing AI models, dwarfing proposed regulatory budgets

The National Security Agency (NSA) informed lawmakers it is spending billions of dollars this year to evaluate and test advanced artificial intelligence models. Classified portions of the national security budget fund these expenditures.

The NSA’s AI Security Center uses these resources to identify vulnerabilities in frontier models. This spending level significantly exceeds the $20 million to $40 million annual budget proposed for a federal AI regulatory body.

The funding gap has intensified debates over AI safety and regulation. Some officials now suggest a tax on AI companies to cover these costs.