In response to a ProPublica report, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed an end to the practice of Chinese nationals remotely managing Pentagon cloud services through Microsoft’s “digital escort” program.
He labeled the arrangement a national security risk and ordered both a third-party audit of the program's code and performance, as well as a DoD-led investigation into the scope of Chinese involvement.
Hegseth emphasized that all contractors supporting Department of Defense systems must eliminate any Chinese participation going forward. There may be ramifications for AI programs going forward.
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