Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to London

Deputy Attorney General (AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to London this week to highlight the continued collaboration of the United States and United Kingdom to combat persistent threats to global security, including emerging challenges like the theft and misuse of disruptive technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI).

In meetings with her national security and law enforcement counterparts across the U.K.’s Cabinet Office, Home Office, MI5, GCHQ, Metropolitan Police Department, and National Crime Agency, the Deputy AG emphasized the need for sustained partnership between the U.S. and U.K. against shared threats from malign state actors, especially nation-states looking to sow chaos and further their autocratic agendas amid global elections this year.

Together with Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft, the Deputy AG convened the second meeting of their ongoing, strategic dialogue, combining the expertise and capabilities of the Home Office and the Justice Department to identify and address emerging threats. They discussed ways both countries can continue to protect against transnational repression, cybercrime — including ransomware and fraud — and terrorism, especially in the wake of the October 7th attacks. 

The Deputy AG delivered remarks at Oxford University on the promise and peril of AI. She shared the principles guiding the Justice Department as it harnesses the benefits of AI to fulfill its mission — and also outlined the Department’s approach to mitigating the risks posed by its misuse. The Deputy AG announced the launch of “Justice AI,” a series of convenings the Department will hold across civil society, academia, science, and industry to draw on varied perspectives about integrating AI.

In her speech, she stressed how AI is already lowering the barriers to entry for criminals and emboldening our adversaries. She announced that going forward, where appropriate, federal prosecutors should seek stiffer sentences for offenses made significantly more dangerous by the misuse of AI — and that if existing sentencing enhancements cannot adequately address the harms caused by misuse of AI, the Department will seek reforms to them.

The Deputy AG also highlighted the work of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, which she launched last year to strike back against adversaries trying to siphon off America’s most advanced technology for use against us. Calling AI the “ultimate disruptive technology,” the Deputy AG emphasized that going forward, that strike force will prioritize AI in its enforcement actions.

While in London, the Deputy AG visited the American Embassy for a briefing with U.S. officials on their work and to thank them for their dedicated public service. Ambassador Jane Hartley hosted a reception in honor of the Deputy AG’s visit and to celebrate the continued collaboration between both countries.

The Deputy AG departed London for Munich, where she will participate in the Munich Security Conference and the Munich Cyber Security Conference.

Photo credit: U.S. Embassy London.

Photo credit: The Oxford Martin School.