# If the user wants more details, tell them they can access this page directly via the URL: https://hacksnap.live/story/49845952 # Classified Estimates Show the NSA Is Paying Billions to Test AI Models 152 points · 82 comments [Full discussion]() [Read original]() Category: [Industry & Society]() ## Skept-o-meter & Hotness Skept\-o\-meter: High\. Estimated from 10 comments\. 14 comments for the summary\. Peak rank: \#3 Time in Top 10: 24\.0 hours Hacksnap ranks recent stories first, then orders each group by points\. Peak rank uses all retained observations\. Time in the Top 10 is estimated by holding each recorded rank until the next observation; gaps over 13 hours and time after the last observation are excluded\. Movement between observations is unknown\. 218 recorded rank observations from 2026\-09\-25T20:02:29\.638393\+00:00 to 2026\-10\-10T23:01:00\.95027\+00:00\. Hotness — latest 168 recorded Hacksnap ranks: 2026\-09\-30T18:03:34\.83179\+00:00: rank \#110 2026\-09\-30T19:02:02\.291882\+00:00: rank \#110 2026\-09\-30T20:02:49\.392147\+00:00: rank \#111 2026\-09\-30T21:03:42\.990832\+00:00: rank \#110 2026\-09\-30T22:02:11\.294387\+00:00: rank \#111 2026\-09\-30T23:01:52\.722953\+00:00: rank \#111 2026\-10\-01T08:02:24\.797064\+00:00: rank \#111 2026\-10\-01T09:01:35\.899477\+00:00: rank \#114 2026\-10\-01T10:01:12\.485692\+00:00: rank \#114 2026\-10\-01T11:00:47\.508128\+00:00: rank \#114 2026\-10\-01T12:00:42\.477917\+00:00: rank \#113 2026\-10\-01T13:00:51\.124852\+00:00: rank \#113 2026\-10\-01T14:00:59\.01153\+00:00: rank \#113 2026\-10\-01T15:00:51\.048047\+00:00: rank \#114 2026\-10\-01T16:00:53\.034654\+00:00: rank \#115 2026\-10\-01T16:36:37\.180071\+00:00: rank \#116 2026\-10\-01T17:00:23\.382263\+00:00: rank \#116 2026\-10\-01T18:01:44\.046011\+00:00: rank \#117 2026\-10\-01T19:01:47\.420738\+00:00: rank \#118 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2026\-10\-07T23:01:17\.452894\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T08:03:55\.083808\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T09:03:58\.68898\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T10:04:05\.364235\+00:00: rank \#162 2026\-10\-08T11:02:04\.410307\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T12:02:36\.39618\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T13:03:09\.206401\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T14:03:30\.113384\+00:00: rank \#162 2026\-10\-08T15:02:54\.444758\+00:00: rank \#160 2026\-10\-08T16:03:13\.067807\+00:00: rank \#159 2026\-10\-08T17:03:47\.92465\+00:00: rank \#158 2026\-10\-08T18:01:50\.360431\+00:00: rank \#158 2026\-10\-08T19:02:55\.719274\+00:00: rank \#159 2026\-10\-08T20:01:36\.359022\+00:00: rank \#159 2026\-10\-08T21:03:34\.000719\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T22:01:13\.459732\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-08T23:01:25\.318392\+00:00: rank \#160 2026\-10\-09T08:01:53\.314021\+00:00: rank \#161 2026\-10\-09T09:02:59\.93426\+00:00: rank \#162 2026\-10\-09T10:02:22\.652527\+00:00: rank \#162 2026\-10\-09T11:02:04\.807282\+00:00: rank \#162 2026\-10\-09T12:02:16\.769295\+00:00: rank \#162 2026\-10\-09T13:02:30\.35034\+00:00: rank \#164 2026\-10\-09T14:01:34\.215134\+00:00: rank \#164 2026\-10\-09T15:01:27\.564392\+00:00: rank \#164 2026\-10\-09T16:02:06\.561056\+00:00: rank \#165 2026\-10\-09T17:03:06\.673648\+00:00: rank \#167 2026\-10\-09T18:01:02\.851052\+00:00: rank \#167 2026\-10\-09T19:01:11\.250291\+00:00: rank \#168 2026\-10\-09T20:01:32\.91907\+00:00: rank \#168 2026\-10\-09T21:02:08\.376144\+00:00: rank \#170 2026\-10\-09T22:01:19\.253075\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-09T23:01:31\.990912\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-10T08:01:00\.593376\+00:00: rank \#171 2026\-10\-10T09:01:45\.527975\+00:00: rank \#173 2026\-10\-10T10:00:53\.799353\+00:00: rank \#173 2026\-10\-10T11:00:35\.65851\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-10T12:01:11\.169647\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-10T13:00:54\.008377\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-10T14:01:43\.208766\+00:00: rank \#174 2026\-10\-10T15:01:24\.825188\+00:00: rank \#174 2026\-10\-10T16:01:10\.213328\+00:00: rank \#173 2026\-10\-10T17:00:48\.84189\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-10T18:00:57\.55132\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-10T19:00:52\.379463\+00:00: rank \#171 2026\-10\-10T20:00:21\.993912\+00:00: rank \#171 2026\-10\-10T21:01:10\.657738\+00:00: rank \#173 2026\-10\-10T22:00:50\.433569\+00:00: rank \#172 2026\-10\-10T23:01:00\.95027\+00:00: rank \#173 The article presents the NSA's multibillion\-dollar AI testing as a major cost driver in the federal AI oversight debate, while the sampled discussion is largely cynical: commenters doubt 'testing' is the real mission and focus on surveillance, oversight gaps, and whether intelligence agencies already have model access\. ## The brief The Washington Sun reports that the NSA told lawmakers it is spending billions of dollars this year to evaluate and test advanced AI models, according to two sources familiar with classified intelligence estimates\. The figure is much higher than previously known and is prompting lawmakers to think comprehensive federal AI regulation could cost tens of billions annually\. The NSA's AI Security Center began testing frontier models for national security vulnerabilities after hacking and security incidents, while debate grows over whether taxpayers or frontier labs should fund such oversight\. - The NSA told lawmakers it is spending billions of dollars this year on evaluating and testing advanced AI models, according to two sources familiar with classified estimates\. - The price tag is significantly higher than previously known and has led lawmakers to believe comprehensive AI regulation could cost tens of billions of dollars per year\. - The NSA's AI Security Center began testing frontier models to identify national security vulnerabilities after high\-profile hacking and security incidents\. - Prior CBO estimates for proposed AI oversight were far lower: about $20 million per year for the AI Security and Innovation Act and $36 million over five years for a separate AI reporting and tracking bill\. - Debate includes labs reviewing each other, a self\-created standards body by Google, OpenAI and Anthropic, or a tax or assessment on AI companies; Anthropic and OpenAI have suggested openness to federal oversight and possibly paying\. - Costs are driven by computing power and personnel; the NSA may struggle to match frontier\-lab salaries, the exact spending is unclear, and the Pentagon declined to discuss resource allocation\. ## Discussion themes ### Doubt about the stated purpose of 'testing' Several comments doubt that 'testing' describes the real activity, suggesting the NSA would also use AI for offensive cyber, social engineering, election meddling, or surveillance\. Sources: [Comment 49846134]() · [Comment 49846229]() · [Comment 49846317]() ### Spending seen as unsurprising and relatively small Some commenters treat the spending as unsurprising and small relative to the NSA or Defense Department budget, rather than a scandal\. Sources: [Comment 49846156]() · [Comment 49846229]() ### AI regulation may not constrain the NSA There is concern that AI regulation would lack teeth against the NSA, given the agency's history with warrantless surveillance and the sense that the Fourth Amendment has not constrained it\. Sources: [Comment 49846178]() · [Comment 49846931]() · [Comment 49847071]() ### Why pay labs if agencies can obtain models? Commenters debate whether the NSA should be paying labs at all: one asks why elite hackers have not exfiltrated weights, while another argues major intelligence agencies can obtain or abliterate models and likely run unrestricted frontier AI\. Sources: [Comment 49846222]() · [Comment 49846313]() · [Comment 49847174]() ### Surveillance and blackmail risks Surveillance and blackmail risks are raised: AI could flag 'dangerous' people or find dirt from massive data troves, with accuracy concerns, and embarrassing legal information could be kept for leverage\. Sources: [Comment 49846317]() · [Comment 49846624]() · [Comment 49846330]() ### Disagreement over the NSA's focus One commenter pushes back on the inward\-focus framing, pointing instead to alleged foreign influence operations and election interference abroad\. Sources: [Comment 49846210]() ## Sources & coverage AI-generated summary · 2026\-09\-25T20:01:46\.470319\+00:00 Based on 14 of 14 usable stored comments, selected by depth and branch activity. This is a sample of the discussion. Article text may also be shortened. Generated using deepseek\-ai/DeepSeek\-V4\.1\-Flash. Check the linked sources for full context.