AI minister warns it is ‘seemingly, if not inevitable’ UK cyber defences can be breached
Minister for Artificial intelligence Kanishka Narayan has warned that it is ‘likely, if not inevitable’ Britain’s cyber defences will be breached
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: ‘The British public is right to expect that this government ought to take the risks of AI seriously’(Image: James Manning/PA Wire)
The minister for Artificial intelligence has warned that it is “likely, if not inevitable” Britain’s cyber defences will be breached.
Kanishka Narayan pointed to a rogue AI system having infiltrated government websites in Australia in June, admitting that the incident concerns him.
Mr Narayan – who was elevated to Cabinet level when Andy Burnham became PM – used his first speech in the role to draw a line in the sand with Donald Trump, who has pushed back on regulating AI. He said the UK Government will meet this “critical moment” by ensuring it keeps the public safe.
Speaking at Imperial College London’s science and tech incubator, he said of the Australia breach: “The incident should concern us. It concerns me. It seems likely, if not inevitable, that our own cyber defences will be breached. Our National Cyber Security Centre has warned that AI will almost certainly make elements of cyber intrusion more effective and efficient.”
He added: “The British public is right to expect that this government ought to take the risks of AI seriously. Our first responsibility is to keep our country safe.”
Mr Narayan said Security minister Dan Jarvis will lead a cross-government programme to strength the UK’s defences against attack, including from AI, and a National Cyber Action Plan will be launched soon.
He added: “But if AI gives those who could attack Britain new capabilities, significant new capabilities, we must use the same technology to make Britain harder to attack.”
The Cabinet minister also confirmed that scientists at Britain’s AI Security Institute are now conducting “rigorous evaluations” of the latest generation of advanced AI models from the US. It comes after the White House asked some major American firms to withhold their models from the UK’s AI watchdog.
Asked how certain he was the UK would retain access to testing of US models, Mr Narayan suggested he was “clear-eyed” that it might not be permanent.
He said: “Well, like when when you’re reliant on someone else’s technology, you have to be clear-eyed about the permanence of any outcome. But I’m very confident that as a consequence of the conversations we’ve had, we will be able to test the latest generation of models.”
Mr Narayan said ensuring Britain builds more of its own AI is a national security priority, saying: “Much of the technology that will shape our economy, our public services, our national security is being developed outside this country.
“That is now a question of national security, also a question of democratic power. If the British state cannot exercise meaningful control over the technologies on which our country depends, neither can the people that it represents.”
His speech comes after Anthropic safety researcher Evan Hubinger last month claimed there was a greater than 10% chance that AI “could kill all humans” within the next decade, while other experts warned AI could be capable of leading a swarm that could take over the entire internet.
