British Spies Looking For Private AI

The British domestic spy agency MI5, wants to strengthen its collaboration with the private sector in harnessing artificial intelligence to help combat hostile state and terrorist activity.

The agency no longer believes it has the in-house talent to develop what it needs in areas such as artificial intelligence and data analysis and the newly appointed chief Ken McCallum, has expressed a desire to partner with technology companies to better exploit cutting-edge tech. 

MI5 is promising  to work more closely with the private sector in harnessing artificial intelligence in tackling hostile state and terrorist activity.

Insiders said that McCallum wanted to be clearer about the threat posed by China, particularly in terms of industrial espionage and cyberwarfare, in the belief that the level of spying by Beijing in the UK was not appreciated more widely. In particular,
the organisation wants to use machine learning to extract useful intelligence from vast datasets held by the private sector, according to tech.newstatesman.com.

Since the 9/11 attacks, terrorism has dominated MI5’s agenda, but that threat is now diversifying, with an increase in far-right activity, which the intelligence agency has now begun to monitor. The organization established in 1909 to counter German espionage ahead of World War I, is the agency tasked with protecting British national security.

The UK Treasury has already established a security investment fund so that the UK intelligence agencies can nurture startups developing in-demand tools. Government agencies would have to explain to the public when they are using AI and or Machine Learning to fight crime.  

GOV.UK:         I-HLS:        Guardian:       New Statesman:

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