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SIIA Statement on the National Security Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence

by Policy

The following statement can be attributed to Paul Lekas, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy, the Software & Information Industry Association.

 

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) welcomes the Administration’s issuance of the first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The NSM marks a formal recognition of AI as a national security priority and one that requires the government to “act with responsible speed” and in close partnership with industry and other stakeholders. These objectives align with the industry’s commitment to building secure AI systems that Americans can trust, as the NSM also prioritizes ensuring that AI technologies deployed by the government are done to further national security interests while upholding rights and democratic values. This balanced approach aligns with the principles SIIA has long advocated, ensuring that AI development is both innovative and responsible.

We appreciate the NSM’s focus on protecting AI development from adversarial threats. As the NSM rightfully notes,  “[c]eding the United States’ technological edge would not only greatly harm American national security, but it would also undermine United States foreign policy objectives and erode safety, human rights, and democratic norms worldwide.”Wielding the resources of the federal government to help industry to secure infrastructure and intellectual property from foreign interference will bolster U.S. competitiveness and strengthen U.S. cybersecurity and counterintelligence. By viewing the security of our AI systems as a top-tier priority in both the private and public sector, this collaborative approach will ensure we remain proactive against malicious actors.

We support the decision to formally designate the AI Safety Institute (AISI) as the primary U.S. government point of contact for coordinating with the private sector on frontier model safety. We firmly believe this is a function that should reside in the federal government and equipping the AISI with necessary resources and authorities is essential to advancing U.S. leadership internationally. The AISI’s leadership will play a crucial role in streamlining mechanisms for addressing the complex challenges that come with advancing AI capabilities, while also safeguarding against potential risks such as cybersecurity threats, bias, and misuse.

We also applaud the NSM’s prioritization of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR), which, when fully realized, will empower a diverse range of researchers from academia, civil society, and small businesses to conduct meaningful AI research. This commitment is crucial for ensuring that AI innovation is not limited to only a few companies, and instead incorporates a more inclusive range of talent and perspectives.

Furthermore, the NSM’s vision for advancing international consensus around AI reflects the importance of a globally coordinated effort in setting standards for AI use in national security, as it builds upon existing efforts that are underway while also directing the government to establish a stable, responsible, and rights-respecting governance framework. We support this commitment to advancing AI governance that promotes trust and collaboration among like-minded allies and partners.

SIIA looks forward to working with the Administration to ensure that the U.S. remains at the forefront of AI innovation, while prioritizing the ethical and secure use of AI aimed at strengthening our national security infrastructure.

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SIIA Joins Over 60 Organizations in Urging Congress to Codify a U.S. AI Safety Institute

by Policy

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has joined over 60 organizations in urging Congress to prioritize legislation that supports the establishment of a U.S. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Institute within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In a letter addressed to Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader Jeffries, and Republican Leader McConnell, the coalition calls on Congress to enact bills that would provide essential resources and authorization for the Institute’s research, testing, and evaluation of AI system safety. The creation of this Institute is vital for advancing U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and national security in AI, particularly as other countries establish their own AI safety frameworks.

With bipartisan bills—S. 4178 in the Senate and H.R. 9497 in the House—already advancing, there is a unique opportunity to solidify NIST’s role in AI safety. The letter emphasizes that this legislation will allow the U.S. to lead multilateral AI safety efforts and prevent other nations from setting global AI standards. The coalition looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that the U.S. maintains its leadership in the responsible development of AI technologies.

Full Letter Here
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Digital Markets Act Fails European Consumers, Businesses

by Policy

The European Union’s (EU) new digital regime, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), took effect in March. While the DMA was intended to increase competition in Europe, its rules, which almost exclusively target American tech companies that provide popular products and services, have instead hurt European consumers and businesses, and created a less innovative and dynamic economic landscape.

For consumers, the DMA has placed significant restrictions on the types of services that so-called “gatekeeper” companies can offer to their users. Because of this, the new rules have resulted in worse experiences for people using popular apps, products, and other online services. For example, many Europeans have complained that the DMA has degraded search engines. In addition, experts have long warned that the DMA’s interoperability requirements threaten to make devices more vulnerable to cyber threats. The latter point, which bears on the national security interests of the EU’s own member states, was curiously treated as almost an afterthought as the proposal wound its way through the legislative process. As a result, instead of improving users’ experiences, the DMA has forced companies to pull back on innovations that provided consumers with a more seamless, efficient, and safe digital environment.

Similarly, companies in Europe have reported declining growth following the DMA’s adoption. Its new advertising regulations have put severe limitations on how small- and medium-sized businesses can use digital ads, a fact that has only helped further entrenched large companies across different industries, thereby restricting competition, rather than promoting it. European hotels, for example, have seen bookings fall by as much as 30%, and airlines based in the EU have warned that restrictions imposed by the DMA have limited their ability to compete with larger industry players.

Ironically, one of the DMA’s core objectives was to increase competition in order to create a more vibrant (“contestable”) and innovative digital economy in Europe. But instead, the DMA has chilled research and development into new technologies. Small businesses and startup companies have warned that Europe’s regulatory environment has made it more difficult to attract the kinds of investments needed to drive innovation. Ironically, a recent report by former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, commissioned by the European Commission itself, points out that the EU’s heavy-handed regulatory approach has led to low productivity and anemic economic growth. Something that Mr. Draghi, in the report, calls an “existential challenge” for Europe.

Despite warnings from European consumers, businesses, and regulators, some American lawmakers and government officials have pushed to implement EU-style regulations in the United States, a step that would onshore the harmful consequences the DMA has had for European consumers, businesses, as well as its economic and national security interests. Ultimately, American policymakers should learn from Europe’s mistakes, not replicate them.

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Salt Typhoon Breach Highlights Importance of Strong Encryption and Concerns about Backdoors

by Policy

Government officials and security professionals are only starting to understand the full scope of a wide-ranging cybersecurity breach conducted by Salt Typhoon, a hacking team based out of China. The Salt Typhoon operation is reported to have breached and penetrated well within the cybersecurity protections maintained by a series of major telecommunications providers. Furthermore, it is likely that sensitive data maintained by these companies pertaining to U.S. citizens was disclosed.

The Salt Typhoon breach raises several questions. The investigation, for example, is made more difficult by the hackers opting to attack multiple supply chain vectors, requiring multiple investigations to ascertain the full scale of the breach. The sensitive data maintained by telecommunications providers in the U.S. may also be entitled to its own protections under U.S. law, further complicating the investigation.

Yet perhaps most salient is the ability of hackers to so deeply infiltrate the cybersecurity systems maintained by U.S. companies, which highlights the necessity of strong encryption. Recent years have seen a raft of proposals to weaken encryption, including the UK’s Online Safety Bill (OSB), EU CSAM legislation, and the EARN-IT Act in the US. Luckily, lawmakers are now taking notice of the risks inherent in such proposals.

According to Politico, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), a longtime supporter of strong encryption, said in response to the breach: “If the government wants to get court orders to listen in on Americans’ calls and read their texts, it has an obligation to keep its surveillance system secure against foreign hacks.” He continued:  “These reports, if accurate, raise further questions about government assertions that it can be trusted with expanded surveillance authorities that include weakening of Americans’ encryption.”

SIIA agrees with Senator Wyden: policies that encourage, not weaken, strong encryption are foundational in a world where the cyber capabilities of bad actors are putting consumer data at risk. As the Salt Typhoon hack reminds us, it is naïve to expect that weakened encryption protections for U.S. citizens’ data will not be exploited by bad actors.

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Questex Group President Details the ‘New Direction’ Company Taking With 2025 Events

by Media

Rhiannon James, group president, pharma, healthcare & technology for Questex, leans in on going bolder for the company’s new 2025 events.

Last week SIIA Media Alert covered the formation of Informa’s new Festivals group, putting in writing what we’ve been seeing for a while now—a movement across the B2B media landscape to bring more focus and pizazz to events. (Informa even put its London Tech Week into its Festivals division.)

Earlier this month, Questex announced a “bold new direction for its life sciences events in 2025” highlighted by the launching of “a series of innovative events designed to foster collaboration and drive meaningful change in the industry.”

Among these events will be: Fierce Pharma Engage, an exclusive event for pharma and biotech executives; Fierce Pharma Week, bringing together more than 2,000 life science executives; and Fierce Biotech Week, merging key insights from the Fierce Biotech Summit.

“We are very excited about moving our events into a new direction,” Rhiannon James (pictured), group president, pharma, healthcare & technology for Questex, told SIIA Media Alert in an email today. “We’re bringing together like-minded communities into larger events—these are audiences that are in similar or adjacent functions in their respective life sciences businesses but do not currently have an event dedicated to bringing them together.”

As for the new directions, James listed a number of initiatives. “Our new Fierce Engage Week event will be heavily focused on one-to-one curated meetings alongside compelling conference programming,” she said. “We’ve been implementing multiple conference formats—15-minute lighting talks, startup pitches, hackathons, topic-based roundtables—as well as the more traditional presentations and panels. Scheduling enough networking time and providing space to have meetings, introducing quiet zones and multiple wellness initiatives as well to attract attendees.”

Questex has also embraced the concept of creating a more festivaled feeling for events. “Elevated experiences are now expected by audiences,” James said. “These experiences include:

** Business/career growth such as a headshot lounge and AI-enabled matchmaking for 1:1 meetings in a dedicated space;

** Elevating typical experiences like espresso carts offering fancy, made-to-order drinks, conversation cups at coffee stations, gelato tastings during a session break, elevated, inspirational videos that kick off each day, high-quality food and themed meals;

** Fun, unexpected activities like puppy parks, wellness lounges, claw machines, golf simulators for attendees to enjoy on expo show floors and offsite events like ballgames and wine tastings.

“The success of our events with festival experiences proves that business can be done in a fun atmosphere through immersive content and the ability to make connections,” James said. “Festivals create momentum of community and year-long touch points and opportunities beyond a one-day event.”

The new offerings fit well with the findings of Freeman’s 2024 Event Organizer Trends Report.

Questex seems to be on the money with its 15-minute lightning talks, startup pitches, and hackathons. Rather than “traditional classroom sessions… attendees want collaborative learning experiences like hands-on interactions, demonstrations, and informal meetings with SMEs,” the report says. “Although there’s a time and place for lectures, attendees are telling us that the on-site event isn’t it.” In addition, “discovering new products/solutions has surpassed networking (87% to 67%) as the most important element for attendees.”

Almost in direct response to that, James wrote this. “We’ll have new product planning, marketing, medical affairs and PR teams together for the first time—and we’re looking to bring in new adjacent audiences as the show grows… We think the largest differences will be in unlocking potential of cross collaboration between these teams and with our vendor communities. We’re already seeing our vendors wanting to reach more than one community at the Fierce Pharma Week—and we will be providing new activations and sponsorships designed to help them reach multiple audiences in one event.”