The Biden-Harris administration today announced the start of a significant, two-year competition that will employ artificial intelligence (AI) to safeguard the most crucial software used by the US, including the code that powers the internet and their vital infrastructure.
The “AI Cyber Challenge” (AIxCC) will test contestants from all over the United States on their ability to find and fix software vulnerabilities. The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is in charge of this competition, will work with a number of leading AI firms, including Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, who are contributing their expertise and making their cutting-edge technology available for this challenge.
The goal of this competition, which will award nearly $20 million in prizes, is to inspire the development of innovative technologies that will significantly increase the security of computer code, one of cybersecurity’s most urgent concerns. A public competition will be held by DARPA, and the participant who secures critical software the best will receive millions of dollars in rewards.
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DARPA will also make $7 million accessible to startup companies who want to participate in AIxCC, ensuring widespread participation and an equal playing field.
Teams will take part in a qualifying competition in the spring of 2024, and the top-scoring teams (up to 20) will receive invitations to the semifinal competition at DEF CON 2024, one of the premier cybersecurity conferences in the world. The highest scoring teams (up to five) will proceed to the next round and receive cash prizes.
The best competitors will significantly impact cybersecurity for both America and the rest of the world. The challenge advisor will be the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF), a division of the Linux Foundation. It will also assist in making sure that the winning software code is immediately put to use to safeguard America’s most crucial software and keep the American people secure.
