Helping the AI Industry Secure Unreleased Models is a National Security Priority

This is a linkpost for an article in The Cipher Brief, written by Senior Policy Advisor Christopher Covino and IAPS researcher Oscar Delaney.

Artificial intelligence is at the center of the U.S.-China rivalry, with companies in both nations racing to develop and deploy leading AI systems. The success of China’s DeepSeek model revealed just how fragile America’s lead is – with experts estimating Chinese AI capabilities lag only 7-10 months behind the U.S. While America’s position appears more tenuous than before, massive US investment and the compounding effects of semiconductor export controls suggest the the U.S. can maintain or even expand its lead. However, this advantage hinges on America’s ability to safeguard its breakthroughs from theft and sabotage.

While attention focuses on publicly available models like ChatGPT, the real risk to U.S. national interests is the theft of unreleased “internal models.” These AI systems being developed, tested, and deployed behind closed doors represent the frontier of American AI innovation. If stolen, they could be used to strengthen Chinese military capabilities and economic competitiveness. AI companies cannot secure these critical assets alone. To preserve America’s technological edge, the U.S. government must work with AI developers to secure these internal models.