Representatives from MI6 and the CIA have revealed the agencies have adopted generative AI in the fight to improve intelligence activities.
In a joint opinion piece, the agencies pointed to the ‘sea of data’ they need to comb through in order to identify and tackle security threats.
The intelligence chiefs describe the ‘accelerated’ challenges brought about by advances in technology, with an ‘unprecedented array of threats’ that the two countries face. The pair identify the war in Ukraine as the first of its kind in combining open-source warfare with ‘cutting-edge battlefield technology [..] high and low sophistication cyber warfare, social media, open-source intelligence”
A special relationship
The move is perhaps not hugely surprising, with Microsoft confirming it designed generative AI models specifically for use by intelligence services. For example, the large language model developed for data analysis uses an ‘air gap’ to ensure a separation from any unsafe internet connections.
The piece indicated China’s rise to power is the primary intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century for both the CIA and SIS - stating that both have reorganized services to reflect the new priority.
This directional change is supported by foreign policy moves, with the US in particular placing restrictions which aim to curb China’s technological power.
Since cyberattacks from both Russia and China have become more prevalent threats, the chiefs confirm the strategy, noting “We are training AI to help protect and “red team” our own operations to ensure we can still stay secret when we need to. We are using cloud technologies so our brilliant data scientists can make the most of our data, and we are partnering with the most innovative companies in the US, UK and around the world.”
The partnership of course don’t confirm the exact uses of their algorithms or AI operations, but it is clear that technology will play a crucial role in intelligence and public policy for the future.
Via Financial Times
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