US launches contest to use AI to prevent government system hacks

Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger speaks during a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, March 21, 2022. [AP Photo]

The White House on Wednesday said it had launched a multimillion-dollar cyber contest to spur use of artificial intelligence to find and fix security flaws in U.S. government infrastructure, in the face of growing use of the technology by hackers for malicious purposes.

"Cybersecurity is a race between offense and defense," said Anne Neuberger, the U.S. government's deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology.