US AI safety rules will hinge on election outcome

Significance The NSM provides a framework for the federal government to develop and employ AI and AI-enabled technologies and strengthen their use offensively and defensively to boost national security. Like Biden’s October 2023 executive order on AI, from which it derives, the NSM seeks to balance developing AI’s potential with the need to protect against its risks. Impacts The executive branch will continue to lead on AI regulation absent federal legislation. States, led by California, will continue to fill the legislative vacuum, creating a patchwork of sub-national laws. New policies focused on AI’s national security implications will continue to raise concerns among civil society groups internationally.