UK in AI arms race with Russia as Putin 'wants destruction', minister to warn

The UK is successful a "new AI arms race" with countries similar Russia and North Korea, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster volition accidental connected Monday.  

Minister Pat McFadden volition beryllium speaking astatine the NATO Cyber Defence Conference astatine Lancaster House, informing the UK and its allies that "cyber warfare is present a regular reality".

"Be successful nary doubt: the United Kingdom and others successful this country are watching Russia. We cognize precisely what they are doing, and we are countering their attacks some publically and down the scenes," helium volition say.

"Putin is simply a antheral who wants destruction, not peace."

Read more: Russia acceptable to deed UK with question of cyber attacks

In a bid to support up with adversaries, Mr McFadden volition denote a caller Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR).

"AI is already revolutionising galore parts of beingness - including nationalist security," helium volition say.

"But arsenic we make this technology, there's a information it could beryllium weaponised against us. Because our adversaries are besides looking astatine however to usage AI connected the carnal and cyber battlefield."

Chinese threats

US officials precocious discovered a Chinese onslaught connected the country's telecommunications infrastructure, wherever operatives "extracted each sorts of delicate accusation from US telecommunications and penetrated it precise deeply", according to tech capitalist Andrew Levi.

"That shows that this isn't conscionable astir Russia," helium told Sky News.

In May, GCHQ manager Anne Keast-Butler said the quality bureau present "devotes more assets to China than immoderate different azygous mission", aft the state hacked the Ministry of Defence's payroll strategy and was accused of stealing information astir UK voters from the Electoral Commission.

In caller months, cyber information steadfast Check Point said it had seen "an uptick of 72% successful cyber attacks connected targets successful the UK", according to Sergey Shykevitch, who leads the company's menace quality research.

"It is decidedly possible, with the close concern and nationalist cyber information strategy, to trim the risks from specified attacks," helium told Sky News. "But we person to retrieve that for the attacker, it is capable to person 1 palmy onslaught successful bid to execute their goal, portion the defender has to beryllium capable to forestall 100% of the attacks."

AI 'only 1 portion of the puzzle'

The caller AI laboratory volition person an archetypal £8.22m circular of authorities backing earlier inviting further concern and collaboration from industry.

However, 1 adept told Sky News AI is lone "one portion of the puzzle" successful presumption of making the UK little susceptible to cyberattacks.

"We request to fundamentally alteration our posture and put successful our networks," said Stephen Kines, main enforcement of British cyber information steadfast Goldilock.

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He said the UK's "legacy infrastructure" leaves the state susceptible and adding AI extortion connected apical is similar having a "nice beforehand door" with a information camera doorbell but an "old-school backmost door".

"That's truly the occupation we have. We've got these backmost doors that conscionable person nary information whatsoever," helium said.

Mr Kines suggests the UK would beryllium amended disconnected implementing carnal "kill switches" successful its grids successful bid to support against Russian attacks, arsenic good arsenic reducing however galore entree points are connected to the internet.

"If you instrumentality it down to the carnal layer, past you tin really decision the Russians due to the fact that they can't physically penetrate it from thousands of miles away."

Alongside the caller laboratory, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster volition besides denote a caller £1m incidental effect task to stock expertise truthful that allies tin respond to cyber incidents much effectively.