The New Secret Weapon: CIA and MI6 Chiefs Disclose Use of AI in Intelligence Operations

TLDR:

• CIA and MI6 chiefs reveal use of generative AI in intelligence operations
• AI helps process large amounts of data and improve intelligence activities
• Ukraine conflict showcases importance of technology in modern warfare
• Russia and China identified as key challenges, with focus on combating disinformation
• Intelligence agencies partnering with private sector to maintain technological edge

The directors of the CIA and MI6, Bill Burns and Richard Moore, have jointly revealed that their agencies are actively employing artificial intelligence, including generative AI, to enhance their intelligence capabilities.

In an op-ed published in the Financial Times, the spy chiefs outlined how AI is being used to improve various aspects of their work, from data analysis to operational security.

Burns and Moore explained that AI is helping their agencies process vast amounts of information more efficiently.

They stated, “We are now using AI, including generative AI, to enable and improve intelligence activities—from summarization to ideation to helping identify key information in a sea of data.”

This capability allows intelligence officers to quickly sift through and make sense of the enormous volume of data they receive daily.

The intelligence chiefs also highlighted the use of AI in safeguarding their own operations. They disclosed that they are training AI systems to “red team” their activities, ensuring they can maintain necessary secrecy in an increasingly digital world.

This application of AI helps identify potential vulnerabilities in their operations before adversaries can exploit them.

The war in Ukraine was cited as a prime example of how technology is reshaping modern conflicts. Burns and Moore noted that the conflict has demonstrated the power of combining advanced technology with traditional warfare tactics.

They pointed out the convergence of satellite imagery, drone technology, cyber warfare, and information operations at an unprecedented scale in Ukraine.

Beyond the Ukraine conflict, the CIA and MI6 are actively collaborating to counter Russia’s disinformation campaigns and what they describe as a “reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe.”

The use of AI in this context is particularly relevant, as it can help identify and track complex disinformation networks more effectively.

China was identified by both agencies as “the principal intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century.” The rise of China as a technological powerhouse and its own advancements in AI present unique challenges for Western intelligence agencies. Burns and Moore stressed the importance of maintaining a technological edge to address this challenge.

To stay ahead in the rapidly evolving technological landscape, both the CIA and MI6 are forging partnerships with innovative companies across the U.S., U.K., and globally. These collaborations aim to leverage cutting-edge technologies and expertise from the private sector to enhance intelligence capabilities.

The intelligence chiefs also touched on the ongoing use of AI in counterterrorism efforts, which remains a core focus for both agencies. They emphasized that AI tools are helping to identify and track potential threats more efficiently than ever before.

While the joint revelation from Burns and Moore is significant for its transparency, it’s worth noting that intelligence agencies have been exploring AI applications for some time.

In July, the CIA’s director of Artificial Intelligence Innovation, Lakshmi Raman, spoke about the agency’s use of generative AI for content triage and analyst assistance at an Amazon Web Services Summit.

The increased use of AI in intelligence operations reflects a broader trend of government agencies partnering with private tech companies.

A report by the Brookings Institution found that federal agencies in the United States increased their potential awards to private tech contracts by almost 1,200% in recent years, from $355 million to $4.6 billion.