General Angus Campbell has used a rare speech to warn of the growing threat to Australia’s security posed by AI and “deep fake” technology, with China already an expert in using tools to spread disinformation.
Some of the world’s most prominent technology leaders gathered Wednesday for a closed-door forum on artificial intelligence at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. The high-profile list of attendees included Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates and Open AI’s Sam Altman. The high-level discussion was prompted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has sought to pass bipartisan legislation to encourage AI development, while discussing the huge risks posed by the sector. A major obstacle currently posed by US lawmakers is the impact of AI on employment and the rapid spread of misinformation generated by AI. Also present at the forum were many tech executives, tech advocates, civil rights groups, labor leaders and all 100 United States senators.
In a rare speech at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on Thursday night, General Campbell warned that the rapid development of new technologies was ushering in an era of “truth decay” that threatened the nation’s security.
Australia’s top defense official claimed it would soon be “impossible for the average person to separate fact from fiction” as he proposed a new form of psychological warfare based on disinformation that could weaken the nation’s will to fight.
“Such an approach could avoid the need for physical attack and strike directly at the psychological, altering sense of reality, with profound implications for deterrence,” he said.
Defense chief Angus Campbell has sounded the alarm over AI and deep counterfeiting technology. Picture: NCA Newswire/Martin Ollman
Because the People’s Liberation Army has repeatedly used social media to sow uncertainty and shift narratives in its favor, General Campbell said China was already an expert in this new type of attack.
He referred to a strategy known as the “Three Wars” that includes “psychological operations, media operations, and legal operations” to exert influence abroad without the use of force in ways that often escape the attention of all but the most sophisticated experts.
While it’s widely known that these operations have been going on for years, the general added that AI and connected technologies are “increasing the spread and effectiveness of a three-war approach rapidly, instantaneously and globally.”
Because the People’s Liberation Army has repeatedly used social media to sow uncertainty and shift narratives in its favor, General Campbell said China was already an expert in this new type of attack. Photo: Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images
Advances in generative AI programs such as ChatGPT and convincing “deeply fake” videos could pose a direct threat to national security and undermine trust and increase uncertainty, General Campbell said, citing a 2022 clip in which the president of Ukraine appeared. Volodymyr Zelensky called on his troops to lay down their arms.
“This technological future could increase the erosion of truth, seriously challenge the quality of what we call public common sense, seriously damage public trust in elected officials, and erode the trust we owe,” the general said.
“Uncertainty undermines our traditional understanding of deterrence by undermining our ability to calculate, ensure reliability, and communicate clarity.
“Uncertainty is cowardice’s bedfellow, a perfect foundation from which others can win without a fight.”
Advances in generative AI programs, such as ChatGPT, and the emergence of increasingly convincing “deep fake” videos could pose a direct threat to national security by undermining trust and increasing uncertainty, General Campbell said. Image: Getty Images
While there has been considerable hype surrounding the development of AI and similar technologies, many experts have called for caution and more regulation of their use and development.
On Thursday, a group of tech tycoons and other experts, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, gathered in Washington for a United States Senate forum on AI.
While the discussions were held behind closed doors, with few participants issuing statements afterward or commenting on the proceedings to the media, there was a clear consensus on the need to carefully manage the risks associated with emerging technologies.
On Thursday, a group of tech tycoons and other experts, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, gathered in Washington for a United States Senate forum on AI. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Meta founder Zuckerberg said security is the first of two “defining issues” for AI moving forward, and said it’s up to developers and companies to “responsibly build and deploy products.”
Meanwhile, Musk, who has long warned about the potentially catastrophic risks posed by the technology, told reporters that “the consequences of AI getting it wrong are so severe that we need to be proactive rather than reactive,” calling for more government oversight and regulation. place
General Campbell echoed those concerns in his speech, explaining that AI has “tremendous potential for both good and ill” and cited Musk along with technology expert Yuval Harari as he compared the technology to a “silicon sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.”
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He added that the rapid development and deployment of AI and deep fakes were set to make it “much, much harder” to navigate the world’s information environment, but claimed the solution was far less complicated than the problem – although he admitted Australia would manage it. can’t alone
“Successful deterrence in this era of mass disruption will truly be a team effort, requiring a deliberate, integrated and collective response,” the general said.
“This requires effective, nuanced and proactive diplomacy.
“Diplomacy can avoid conflict by conveying credibility… it can provide partners in conflict. It can elicit and win broad global sympathy and support.
“It can reduce the scale or escalation of conflict. And hopefully it can end conflict.”