The Justice Department is intensifying its focus on artificial intelligence, warning that companies and individuals who misuse the technology for white-collar crimes like price fixing and market manipulation will face harsher sentences. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the new policy at an American Bar Association conference in San Francisco, emphasizing that AI has the potential to both improve lives and supercharge illegal activities. Monaco's remarks come on the heels of charges against a former Google software engineer accused of stealing AI trade secrets and working with China-based companies.

Monaco highlighted the importance of corporate compliance programs in detecting misconduct and ensuring adherence to the law, stating that the Justice Department will now consider how well a company manages the risks associated with AI technology when assessing compliance programs. She emphasized that prosecutors will seek stiffer sentences for individuals and corporate defendants who deliberately misuse AI to make white-collar crimes more serious, noting that compliance officers should take note of this new focus.

The move reflects law enforcement officials' concerns about the potential exploitation of rapidly developing AI technology by foreign adversaries or domestic entities to harm the U.S. The Justice Department aims to address these risks by holding accountable those who misuse AI for criminal activities, underscoring the dual nature of AI as a tool with great promise and peril. For more information on the Justice Department's stance on artificial intelligence, follow AP's coverage.