EDITORIAL ANALYSIS : Disinformation, AI and ‘cyber chakravyuh’
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: The Hindu
• Prelims: Science and technology, Artificial intelligence(AI), Generative AI, Big Data, GANs, phishing, cybersecurity, ChatGPT1 tool etc
• Mains GS Paper III and IV: Significance of technology for India, AI, indigenisation of technology and development of new technology.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
• The 33rd Summer Olympic Games in France, were seen as a real and tempting target for digital, including cyber and other criminals.
• Riots have spread across several K. towns and cities. Disinformation and, presumably, misinformation that an undocumented migrant was behind the attacks spread quickly on social media.
• Disinformation and, presumably, misinformation that an undocumented migrant was behind the attacks spread quickly on social media.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
Artificial intelligence(AI):
• It is a branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers.
• It describes the action of machines accomplishing tasks that have historically required human intelligence.
• It includes technologies like machine learning, pattern recognition, big data, neural networks, self algorithms etc.
• g: Facebook’s facial recognition software which identifies faces in the photos we post, the voice recognition software that translates commands we give to *Alexa*, etc are some of the examples of AI already around us.
Generative AI:
• Generative AI industry projected to increase global GDP by as much as $7 to $10 trillion, the development of generative AI solutions
• It is a cutting-edge technological advancement that utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence to create new forms of media, such as text, audio, video, and animation.
• With the advent of advanced machine learning capabilities: It is possible to generate new and creative short and long-form content, synthetic media, and even deep fakes with simple text, also known as prompts.
AI innovations:
• GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks)
• LLMs (Large Language Models)
• GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformers)
• Image Generation to experiment
• Create commercial offerings like DALL-E for image generation
• ChatGPT for text generation. It can write blogs, computer code, and marketing copies and even generate results for search queries.
• It can write blogs, computer code, and marketing copies and even generate results for search queries.
Advantages of generative AI:
• It has transformed how we operate, with its integration into sectors such as education, banking, health care, and manufacturing.
• It has transformed the paradigm of cyber-risks and safety as we know it.
Security threats(2024) from AI and negative impact:
• Disinformation in the run up to the elections in Taiwan in Fake posts and videos, causing widespread confusion.
• Fake posts and videos, causing widespread confusion.
• AI has made it far easier to spread disinformation cloaked in the garb of reality. Spreading disinformation has become far easier with the advent of AI.
• Spreading disinformation has become far easier with the advent of AI.
• Deep fakes, comprising digitally manipulated video, audio, or images, repeatedly cause a miasma of disinformation. The truth is revealed much later and after the damage has been done.
• The truth is revealed much later and after the damage has been done.
• A combination of cyber attacks and AI-enabled disinformation is causing grave havoc in the conflict in Ukraine. The two sides in a conflict could employ disinformation including AI-enabled disruption against one another, to each other’s disadvantage.
• The two sides in a conflict could employ disinformation including AI-enabled disruption against one another, to each other’s disadvantage.
• With cyber attacks, AI has led to major disruptions in critical infrastructure, including telecommunications and power grids.
• A ‘glitch’ in a software update concerning Microsoft Windows caused a massive outage. It initially affected parts of the United States, but rapidly spread to different parts of the globe, including India. It disrupted flight operations, air traffic, stock exchanges and more. India’s response: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) issued a severity rating of ‘critical’ for the incident.
• It initially affected parts of the United States, but rapidly spread to different parts of the globe, including India.
• It disrupted flight operations, air traffic, stock exchanges and more.
• India’s response: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) issued a severity rating of ‘critical’ for the incident.
• There is a rising curve of false credit card transactions, obtaining personal information in the process to defraud unwitting individuals. Compromising business e-mails is on the increase. One of the most widespread cyber frauds is ‘phishing’, which involves stealing personal information such as customer ID, credit\debit card numbers, and even PIN.
• Compromising business e-mails is on the increase.
• One of the most widespread cyber frauds is ‘phishing’, which involves stealing personal information such as customer ID, credit\debit card numbers, and even PIN.
Past cyber attacks:
• WannaCry ransomware attack(2017) employing the WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm It infected well over 2,30,000 computers in 150 countries, resulting in damage amounting to billions of dollars.
• It infected well over 2,30,000 computers in 150 countries, resulting in damage amounting to billions of dollars.
• Shamoon Computer Virus which was directed mainly against oil companies such as SA ARAMCO (Saudi Arabia) and RasGas (Qatar),
• ‘Petya’ Malware severely affected banks, electricity grids and a host of other institutions across Europe and the United Kingdom, U.S. and Australia.
• Stuxnet ‘attack’ in 2010: Over 2,00,000 computers were impacted and physically degraded as a result. Stuxnet was a malicious computer worm specifically targeting supervisory control and data acquisition systems. The target was the Iran nuclear programme, leading to the inference that it was state sponsored.
• Stuxnet was a malicious computer worm specifically targeting supervisory control and data acquisition systems.
• The target was the Iran nuclear programme, leading to the inference that it was state sponsored.
Ethical Issues with AI:
Way Forward
• Across the democratic world, governments are seeking to put in place proper systems to deal with digital threats. Industry and private institutions, however, appear to be lagging behind.
• Industry and private institutions, however, appear to be lagging behind.
• Having in place firewalls, antivirus defenses and a good back-up and disaster recovery system are not enough. Most CEOs of companies are not adequately equipped to deal with digital threats. Place a chief information and security officer to look at their systems and advise them as to what they should do.
• Most CEOs of companies are not adequately equipped to deal with digital threats.
• Place a chief information and security officer to look at their systems and advise them as to what they should do.
• Awareness of the growing danger of digital threats is but the first step in the battle against cyber and AI-directed threats.
• Unauthorized use of Generative AI content has already become the stock-in-trade of digital bullying. It demands a great deal of effort and adequate budgetary allocations whether in the private or public domain.
• It demands a great deal of effort and adequate budgetary allocations whether in the private or public domain.
• Potentially dangerous digital technologies require more, and the specific, attention of those in-charge, specially in the case of democracies.
• There is a need to create a realization that the struggle against digital threats calls for coordinated action.
• Nations, especially democracies, are today under attack from a new and different source. There is a need to counter digital surveillance, disinformation, bullying and manipulation, for our survival.
• There is a need to counter digital surveillance, disinformation, bullying and manipulation, for our survival.
• It becomes imperative now to develop solutions through collaborative avenues to safeguard confidential information, identities, and even human rights.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
What are the different elements of cyber security ? Keeping in view the challenges in cyber security, examine the extent to which India has successfully developed a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy.(UPSC 2022) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)