Preparedness: Key to Weathering Tech Disasters

With families and communities still working to recover from previous storms, like the recent Hurricane Helene that devastated many coastal communities and unsuspecting inland areas, America, this week, prepared for another monster storm - Hurricane Milton. Anticipating the oncoming storm, schools and public events were canceled, supplies prepositioned, response personnel activated, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis preemptively declared a state of emergency for more than 80 percent of the counties across the state days before landfall. 

From school fire drills to federal disaster coordination exercises, it is understood that preparedness is key to weathering disasters. Creating a plan, anticipating challenges, and executing a coordinated local, state, and federal response saves lives and protects communities.

Disasters are evolving. This is reflected in the July 2024 IT disaster that was caused by a faulty Crowdstrike update, hobbled millions of Windows systems, and cost Fortune 500 companies an estimated $5.4 billion. As lives and the economy become increasingly intertwined with technology, it is judicious and necessary that emergency preparation and capabilities adapt to new threats. 

For these reasons, the Center for AI Policy (CAIP) is encouraging Congress and the Administration to increase America’s technology security posture and emergency response capabilities. 

A foundation for this can be set by “wargaming” technology related catastrophes. With the proliferation and accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in particular, critical US systems and infrastructure face increased risk of attack. Government agencies already conduct wargames, or tabletop exercises, focused on natural disasters, physical attacks, and cyberattacks. This planning should now be extended to anticipate the evolving threats from advanced AI. We need additional resources to simulate AI-specific catastrophes, mitigate those threats, and prepare robust responses. Only through practice can we better understand our vulnerabilities and fortify our readiness.

Crises have traditionally brought communities and country together. As we keep those in Hurricane Milton’s path in our thoughts and prayers, let’s ensure a swift and effective response. As we look toward the future of emergency preparedness, let’s ensure America is ready for existing and novel threats.