New & Developing Threats
New & Developing Threats
Society is facing a range of new threats derive mainly from advances in Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things / Bodies and a rise in state surveillance. Tackling such threats without degrading internet services and compromising our privacy, security and freedom of expression is proving highly problematic.
This is not least because of the multiplicity of agencies and organisations involved in trying to regulate online content and police such developments, and the poor coordination between them; and very real concerns about unintended consequences.
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and the above categories explained in more detail.
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Of particular concern is the unregulated use of algorithms for decision-making (e.g. to determine credit scores, prison sentences or parole), and facial recognition technology (e.g. to identify demonstrators in a crowd, interpret shoppers’ instore behaviour, or see how you are ageing); and the manipulation of voices, photos and videos — ‘deepfakes’ are a real concern, indeed awareness of them is in itself “destabilizing political processes by undermining the perceived objectivity of videos featuring politicians and public figures.” There is also concern about the increasing volume and sophistication of hacking attacks
and criminal activity on line — 'disinformation services’ are now on offer to the private sector; the prospect of governments manipulating satellite imagery
(including Google Maps) and GPS Spoofing, and in the longer term, unease at the potential for abuse if (when?) there’s a breakthrough in the research into brain-computer interfaces
and or quantum computing.
China’s growing political confidence and global influence is also a growing preoccupation in political circles in the West, along with the country’s increasing dominance in AI — China is ‘perfecting’ social control (its social credit scheme
is due to become operational in 2020); it is already the world’s leading exporter
of surveillance equipment, and it is proactive in training
other authoritarian governments in AI surveillance.
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