Staff Reports
PHOENIX — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (AZ-D), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced Wednesday that key national security priorities he championed were included in the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, which advanced out of committee with strong bipartisan support.
The bill contains multiple provisions authored by Kelly aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in the Intelligence Community’s use of artificial intelligence — particularly in high-stakes decisions that could have lethal consequences — while also tightening oversight of access to classified intelligence information.
“As AI takes a bigger role in our intelligence and military operations, Congress has a responsibility to understand how it’s being used and build in safeguards for the American people before problems arise,” Kelly said in a statement. “We can continue to lead on AI and be smart about it. That’s why I worked to make sure we’re using AI responsibly, that Congress stays in the loop, and that we protect our national security from foreign adversaries who are investing heavily into AI.”
Kelly secured five amendments focused on AI in the intelligence bill. They would:
- Require a report to Congress on newly considered uses of AI, including associated risk mitigations, future testing plans, and an assessment of risks and advantages.
- Direct the Director of National Intelligence to review current uses of AI in targeting workflows and evaluate whether existing safety policies are adequate.
- Mandate that all outputs from AI systems be clearly marked as AI-generated in a manner visible to all users, including military personnel, to prompt appropriate human validation.
- Task the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) with studying AI-on-AI attacks and the potential for AI systems to contribute to inadvertent escalation with foreign adversaries.
- Establish recurring congressional reporting requirements whenever the executive branch grants individuals without security clearances access to classified information outside normal processes.
The second provision on uncleared access addresses concerns about consistency and potential vulnerabilities across different administrations.
Beyond Kelly’s amendments, the broader Intelligence Authorization Act includes several significant measures:
- Reforms to focus the Intelligence Community authorities more sharply on foreign intelligence, international terrorism, and threats to the homeland.
- Additional resources for recruiting intelligence officers and expanding collection against U.S. adversaries.
- A prohibition on the IC’s use or procurement of products and services from Communist China.
- Creation of a task force to monitor indications of Chinese military aggression toward Taiwan.
- Enhanced oversight of AI adoption and its use in lethal targeting.
- Pre-deployment testing opportunities for AI models to help protect U.S. technology firms from misuse.
- Bans on acquiring or operating autonomous ground systems from China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea.
- Continued intelligence support for key U.S. allies, including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
- Strengthened protections for whistleblowers seeking to contact Congress.
- New counterintelligence offices at the Departments of Commerce and Treasury.
- Measures to enhance U.S. person privacy protections regarding unmasking procedures.
- A prohibition on IC personnel using nonpublic information for prediction market bets.
- Requirements to report on hostile foreign cyber actors and scam centers.
- Other provisions address spectrum relocation, biological data, Federal Reserve security, foreign investment near IC facilities, and CIA facility protection from unmanned aircraft.
The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut, has positioned himself as a leading voice on national security and emerging technology issues during his time in the Senate.
