Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enhance coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments to combat emerging threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cyberattacks.
In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday, Schumer emphasized the urgency of addressing AI-driven cyber risks before they escalate into disruptive attacks on critical infrastructure.
“There is a race between cybersecurity defenders and AI-enabled hacking — and there’s no time to waste,” Schumer wrote in the letter.
He highlighted concerns over the DHS’s ability to coordinate these efforts effectively, citing federal funding cuts to the Multistate Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the absence of a Senate-confirmed director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) during the second Trump administration.
Schumer’s Demands for DHS Action
Schumer requested that DHS submit a comprehensive plan by July 1 outlining how the agency will collaborate with SLTT governments to:
- Identify top AI talent for cybersecurity roles
- Implement rapid patching procedures
- Conduct thorough risk assessments
“AI is changing the cyber battlefield fast — and we cannot let hackers get there first,” Schumer stated in comments accompanying the letter. “Hospitals, power grids, water systems, schools, elections, and emergency services cannot be left exposed while criminal gangs and state-backed hackers race to exploit new AI tools.”
He warned that without immediate action, Americans could face outages, disruptions, and attacks that endanger lives and livelihoods.
CISA’s Defensive AI Initiatives
Despite these concerns, CISA officials have confirmed that the agency is already leveraging AI for defensive cybersecurity measures internally.
The letter follows growing bipartisan calls for stronger federal oversight of AI’s role in cybersecurity amid rising threats.
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