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Algorithms And Terrorism: The Malicious Use Of Artificial Intelligence For Terrorist Purposes
Over the past decade, we saw a speedy adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions within various industries, by both public and the private sectors. It is predicted that the global AI market will exceed $100 billion by 2025 and AI enabled systems will continue to support many sectors – healthcare, education, commerce, banking and financial services, critical infrastructure, and security, among many others.
As stated by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in his 2018 Strategy on New Technologies, “While these technologies hold great promise, they are not risk-free, and some inspire anxiety and even fear. They can be used to malicious ends or have unintended negative consequences”. The potential benefits of AI to humanity are undeniable, and yet, research on the malicious use of AI is still in its infancy.
Terrorists have been observed to be early adopters of emerging technologies, which tend to be under-regulated and under-governed, and AI is no exception. Given the international linkages and cross-border implications of many technological systems, a regional and international approach becomes vital to ensure terrorists do not have the opportunity to exploit regulatory gaps that can expose vulnerabilities in AI systems. We need to build resilient governing structures that can quickly and effectively respond to and mitigate the impact of the malicious use of AI by terrorists.
The United Nations is responding to this need with a wide array of initiatives. The Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation sets “Supporting Global Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence” as one of the eight key areas for action. In line with this Roadmap, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre in the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism is also responding to this challenge through its Global Counter-Terrorism Programme on Cybersecurity and New Technologies.
This report developed jointly with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute should serve as an early warning for potential malicious uses and abuses of AI by terrorists and help the global community, industry and governments to proactively think about what we can do collectively to ensure new technologies are used to bring good and not harm.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the international experts who were involved in shaping the recommendations of this report. My Office stands ready to support Member States and other counter-terrorism partners in countering the threat of AI by terrorists.
As stated by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in his 2018 Strategy on New Technologies, “While these technologies hold great promise, they are not risk-free, and some inspire anxiety and even fear. They can be used to malicious ends or have unintended negative consequences”. The potential benefits of AI to humanity are undeniable, and yet, research on the malicious use of AI is still in its infancy.
Terrorists have been observed to be early adopters of emerging technologies, which tend to be under-regulated and under-governed, and AI is no exception. Given the international linkages and cross-border implications of many technological systems, a regional and international approach becomes vital to ensure terrorists do not have the opportunity to exploit regulatory gaps that can expose vulnerabilities in AI systems. We need to build resilient governing structures that can quickly and effectively respond to and mitigate the impact of the malicious use of AI by terrorists.
The United Nations is responding to this need with a wide array of initiatives. The Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation sets “Supporting Global Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence” as one of the eight key areas for action. In line with this Roadmap, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre in the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism is also responding to this challenge through its Global Counter-Terrorism Programme on Cybersecurity and New Technologies.
This report developed jointly with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute should serve as an early warning for potential malicious uses and abuses of AI by terrorists and help the global community, industry and governments to proactively think about what we can do collectively to ensure new technologies are used to bring good and not harm.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the international experts who were involved in shaping the recommendations of this report. My Office stands ready to support Member States and other counter-terrorism partners in countering the threat of AI by terrorists.
58 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2021
1 person want to read
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