Artificial intelligence will change the lives of the British, says Oliver Dowden

Oliver Dowden said AI will bring change «much faster than other revolutions we've seen.» Credit: iStockphoto

Artificial Intelligence Turn nearly every area of ​​British life into a 'total revolution' in the coming years and months, says Deputy Prime Minister.

Oliver Dowden, in charge of preparing the country for new and emerging threats , also warned of the growing risk of AI-assisted hacking and terrorism.

In an interview with the Times, Mr. Dowden said: “This will completely change almost every element of life in the coming years, and in some cases even months.”

“It is much faster than other revolutions. which we have seen, and much more extensive, whether it be the invention of the internal combustion engine or the industrial revolution.”

The vice premier added that artificial intelligence poses a particular danger compared to terrorism, since it can allow people to carry out extensive hack operations or create chemical or biological weapons.

He also warned about the risk of «deepfake» images, which are so realistic that many people might believe they are real, saying they could be used to influence public opinion and possibly jeopardize the democratic process.

«In the pre-election environment, we've had problems over the past five or six years in terms of disinformation, disinformation,» he said. “Again, this will amplify and increase this risk, because it is much easier to create deepfakes with AI.”

Isn't AI advancing too fast?

Mr Dowden cited a data breach by the Elections Commission last week in which up to 40 million British voters were exposed in a cyberattack.

The watchdog said it was unlikely that the leak could have been used to influence the following elections. However, on Tuesday, The Telegraph reported that British intelligence agencies had found evidence linking the attack on the commission to the Russians.

Downing Street later said it was also considering the involvement of China, Iran or North Korea. follow it.

“The single best thing you can do to stop cyberattacks is to make sure that when you get one of those annoying alerts on your phone or tablet to update your system, do it right far away,” said Mr. Dowden.

“Sometimes we can focus too much on high-end things. In fact, the most basic of what we call cyber hygiene is the most important thing you can do.”