Harvesting AI for the good of cyber security in the UK

It’s not rocket science - well, actually…
To effectively manage the human impact security experts will have to work hand in hand with data scientists who are aiming to put together the relevant neuro networks to maximise the opportunities of AI whilst mitigating against the dangers.

The ability to take into account safety, security and environmental considerations will require someone (or several someones) who understand the technology and how it’s developed. We need people who can work together and work across boundaries quickly and efficiently, causing a change in the way we structure not only security but allied functions in order to become more agile and responsive.

Dangerous liaisons: cross-border co-operation
Successful mitigation of risk will come down to who does the best job at getting the right coders, working with the right data scientists and the right security experts in order to develop the right product - and, of course, the amount of investment in such projects. We’ve seen over the past few decades that nation states are willing to co-operate in sharing technologies and vulnerabilities in order to pool resources. The whole in this case is often better than the sum of its parts.

At home, the UK government has recently announced a new £110 million programme of Masters courses in AI, coupled with work-based placements backed by both government and industry investment. In addition, UK troops on the front lines are to be supported by palm-sized drones developed by the Ministry of Defence, with around 200 miniature drones deployed on the battlefield to take over the life-threatening surveillance and reconnaissance duties currently undertaken by soldiers. The MoD’s investment in robotic systems is estimated at around £66 million ($87 million). This is great news for armed forces, but could be viewed as a drop in the ocean when it comes to the long-term investment required in AI technology.

We’re in it together – is AI there with us?
We need to do better: speed up the turnaround of relevant intel and information; bring together the right teams of people, internationally as necessary to harness the relevant skills; be prepared for change at a pace never seen before. The complexity of the challenge is increasing day by day, but so is the positive potential of AI that is just waiting to be harnessed.

There’s now a wheelchair, powered by AI that uses facial expressions to guide the chair's movement, that will revolutionise mobility for disabled wheelchair users. This is a fascinating time to be alive and I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s in store for us.

The ability to use and build on AI for the benefit of humankind far outweighs the risks associated with AI - but only if we anticipate and harness the risk and danger and incorporate these threats into our ongoing AI strategy. We need to defend the use of bad AI with good AI - that is our future.

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