While many executives have made progress preparing their organizations for AI’ s transformative potential by identifying use cases, investing in infrastructure, and tackling adoption challenges, an equally critical aspect of AI readiness demands attention: national security.

This is not only about compliance checklists and being prepared to manage a public- relations crisis. It is about recognizing the broader geopolitical, economic, and security implications that AI adoption introduces and the role your organization plays in safeguarding the United States and its interests.

The emerging national security imperative

AI is no longer just a tool for optimizing supply chains or streamlining customer service. It is a strategic asset— one that adversarial nations are targeting with unprecedented focus. The U. S. government sees this reality clearly. For instance, the Department of Defense views AI as a foundational technology for maintaining military superiority. Federal agencies are tightening export controls, scrutinizing data flows, and emphasizing the protection of critical infrastructure. These actions are not arbitrary; they are rational responses to real threats.

From espionage campaigns aimed at proprietary algorithms to supply chain infiltration involving hardware components, the threats are both sophisticated and pervasive.

China’ s ambitions in AI are particularly instructive. Beijing has explicitly articulated its goal of becoming the global leader in AI by 2030. This goal is not limited to academic benchmarks or industry accolades; it is a cornerstone of a broader geopolitical strategy. China’ s leadership understands that AI will determine not just who innovates but who leads economically, technologically, and militarily.

This desire for dominance manifests in several ways. Chinese companies are embedding AI into surveillance systems that track millions of citizens, both domestically and abroad. Technologies like facial recognition and predictive policing are not just tools of social

ABOUT

The Author

Klon Kitchen

Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute

Klon Kitchen is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute( AEI), where he focuses on the intersection of national security and defense technologies and innovation. Through his research, he works to understand and explain how emerging technologies are shaping

modern statecraft, intelligence, and warfighting, while focusing on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum sciences. Before joining AEI, Mr. Kitchen was director of the Heritage Foundation’ s Center for Technology Policy, where he led an enterprise-wide, interdisciplinary effort to understand and shape the

nation’ s most important technology issues. Before joining Heritage, Mr. Kitchen was national security adviser to Sen. Ben Sasse( R-NE) and worked on the creation of the U. S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a blue-ribbon commission tasked with developing an American grand strategy for cyber.

The Kyndryl Institute Journal

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The Kyndryl Interactive Institute Journal Issue 1 | Page 129

While many executives have made progress preparing their organizations for AI’ s transformative potential by identifying use cases, investing in infrastructure, and tackling adoption challenges, an equally critical aspect of AI readiness demands attention: national security.

From espionage campaigns aimed at proprietary algorithms to supply chain infiltration involving hardware components, the threats are both sophisticated and pervasive.