The Security of AI Systems: Implications for National Security

26 Jan 2025
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh
The rapid proliferation of AI globally has brought about significant advancements and opportunities. However, it also introduces a new set of vulnerabilities and threats, particularly concerning national security. As AI systems become more integrated into critical infrastructure, defense mechanisms, and governmental operations, the potential for abuse by state actors and other malicious entities continues to grow.
All this is very concerning as the world becomes a more dangerous place, particularly with the recent infiltration of telecommunication devices in Lebanon, which led to tragic loss of life. Such sabotage will inevitably move into other technology areas, including AI. The major concern with AI is the scale at which such attacks could cause devastation if compromised, due to the increasing power of such systems as they are more powerful, and as their implementation spreads within governmental and military circles across the globe.
AI technologies are increasingly being utilized in national security for tasks such as surveillance, intelligence analysis, and autonomous defense systems. The integration of AI enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of these operations but it also expands the attack surface for adversaries, with the US National Security Agency (NSA) highlighting the importance of securing AI systems to protect national interests.
State-affiliated threat actors have been identified as using AI tools to enhance their cyber capabilities, as well as compromising those being used by others. Securing these systems can be a daunting task, particularly as those based on machine learning can be complex and opaque, making it difficult to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities. AI systems rely heavily on large datasets, which can also be targeted for theft or manipulation.
It is vital for countries to bolster their national cybersecurity infrastructures, invest in AI research to develop their capacity to identify and mitigate such threats, as well as educate policymakers, military personnel, and the general public about AI and its security implications to build more resilient nations.
There must be international cooperation and information sharing to help nations to collectively defend against AI threats, develop advanced detection systems, and foster collaboration between private and public sectors to build a multi-layered defense mechanism as components of a holistic strategy to stay ahead of the evolving threats in this domain.
AI is the new technological frontier that we must harness and conquer with full confidence to ensure that we are never held to ransom by any state actors that are looking to do us harm due to our naivety of such technology.