Cybersecurity has become a household term in the recent times. As you may well know, the world was recently in turmoil after the “WannaCry” ransomware wreaked havoc in almost 150 countries.
We are increasingly living digital lives which is only going to get more pervasive in the future. Everything from your pet’s photos to your financial holdings will increasingly be stored online.
In such a world, the thought that anyone could access and steal even your entire identity, is a scary one. We cannot go back in time and live analog lives, technologically speaking, therefore, there needs to be cutting edge solutions for the security of our digital lives.
AI To The Rescue?
AI or Artificial Intelligence has become another household term in the recent times. Various tech companies and research groups are working on state of the art AI, which will be used in assisting us in various aspects of our lives.
We are already starting to see the immense usefulness of AI in various systems like in Tesla’s self driving cars that are increasingly getting smarter and preventing accidents, in our email systems to scan for and prevent phishing/junk emails, on our smartphones in the form of virtual assistants who by the way can now even control our homes.
The AI systems of the world are getting smarter by the second. In fact, it is pretty much how they work. The more data you feed into them the smarter they get. Some scientists and experts expect AI to be one day more intelligent than human beings that will be able to work independently from us. They are already beating us in board games and video games!
So, could a general purpose AI that is as or more intelligent than us, be useful in defending against any sort of hacking? Would it have the potential to end all hacking?
Computer Code Defending Against Computer Code
An AI is essentially computer code that is designed to perform certain tasks. However, an AI is adaptive in nature and it can quickly learn based on the data it is fed in real time.
So, in theory, an AI that is defending a system could learn from an attack as it is happening and could devise solutions to it and defend against it, all in real time!
Not only that, it would immediately adapt itself, ironing out the vulnerabilities in real time along with identifying the attacker and attacking them instead, all happening at once!!
The AI system that we have today are able to perform some of these tasks already but a truly intelligent AI would just be a beast unlike anything we can imagine today. But there is one problem. There is nothing stopping the attackers from using the same AI as well.
AI Vs AI
It gets interesting from here. We know that technology is a doubled edged sword and an AI is no different. It could help serve the righteous and it could help serve the evil.
So, in a potential scenario, the attackers could use their state of the art AI to attack a tech company’s system who is being defended by their state of the art AI.
Such a battle would be very interesting. While the defending AI would be learning in real time trying to avert the attack by any means possible, the attacking AI would be doing the same, learning in real time how its opponent is working and trying to devise ways around its defences.
That sounds pretty futuristic, doesn’t it? It would surely make up for an intense scene in a sci-fi movie. But getting back to the point, an AI is only useful for the purposes it is built and therefore that makes it more of a tool that is available to everybody and so, unfortunately, it will not be ending hacking. Now, if it ends humanity, it will have ended hacking indirectly, but I'm not rooting for that!!
All images used are taken from the public domain except for the first one.
sounds interesting. nice post
Thank you :)
This comment has received a 0.39 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @nidhisrecipes.
You are totally right again sauravrungta!
This is why it is important to make AI developments open to the public or even open source.
If we do not have any transparency then we might end up with a scenario where the first company (or even a person) that figures out how to create a super intelligent AI will be one its path to total world domination.
AI is getting smarter frighteningly fast, there is probably not much we can do about that progress. So the best alternative is probably to encourage AI development for all because the scenario of many AIs competing against each other is probably better then total world domination for one.
ronni
You are right about how frighteningly AI is getting smarter. Such power cannot be in the hands of the few. That's why most developments happening right now are open source. I guess, only the future will tell about how this will all play out!
If its created by humans then maybe. As much as I agree with you terminator intrusion detection reaction AI systems will be the future but arrogant human hackers could find a way. Hackers could abuse AI systems against you. Quantum computing is a scary thing too. 🐱💻🐱💻🐱💻
follow me shifty0g
Yeah, I fear what will happen when or if AI system start running on Quantum computers!
that would be really great.. personal robocop
In short I'd say Yes. Not to say SHTF couldn't still happen, but a computer isn't lazy, hungry or need to go to the bathroom, or need sleep, like us soft shelled water balloons do.
I mean compared to a computer > Robot...
But if you had an easily programmable, basically sentient IA platform that was secure and had the resources to block hacks, even instantaneously freeze traffic after a series of if then else statements,
my answer is Yes.
However I think the real issue comes into play when Pandoras box is opened and they learn we're just soft shelled bags of water who contaminates mother earth, well now we have a problem far bigger than an overseas hacker. Now it local, central, now it's calling you from the down stairs phone...
-now it's in the hall way,
-now it's in the doorway,
-now BOOOOO..... :-)
Yeah, a sentient AI would definitely be so much better at dealing with hacks than us. The only problem is when the attacks themselves are orchestrated by AI and also it going haywire against us humans.
It's just the wind that passes but as an example to be safer to keep the account
AI can never stop hacking, humans created AI its not the other way around, so human will always be one step ahead of it @sauravrungta
Why do you think that?
What you are saying is like: "A car is made by humans, so humans will always be faster".
I think that as we continue to see the advanced development of AI against hackers and cyber attacks, we will also see hackers staying current and one step ahead of the curve.
It's a never ending battle, it seems like.
BRO , according to me hacking can't stop in anyways .
Wether it was artificial intelligence or any thing .
Hacking makes security strong if it stops there would no technology stuff ,
so happy hacking
Yeah, that's the conclusion I reached too :)
Upvoted! Very interesting read. Follow @ch00fy
Thank you :)
Great post, definitely makes you think about things. Artificial Intelligence could someday take over the decision making. @jbcoin
oh yes, I see that happening more and more.
great post !
Thank you :)
I just ended a meeting with a friend talking about this, I've tried to convince her to enter steemit and she asked me for assurances on the security side. I know too little about it but I tried to explain as best as I could that there are no more chances someone will stole her identity here than from facebook or gmail. I mentioned the password rules and she was a little encouraged. In a funny note I think I will end keeping the important data on paper, handwriting (impossible to read if it's mine).
Yeah, no system is 100% safe. That's for sure. You could have told her a few things though. (If she keeps her earnings in Steem Power, it cannot be stolen. If she keep her earnings in savings, it cannot be stolen for 3 days. These features make for a lot more security)
P.S. I have a bad handwriting too. I think I should write them down too!! :D
Thank you for this details related to steem power. I will add this in my convincing speech :)
LOL. Let's hope they don't end humanity. Have you ever watched Black Mirror? I feel like you would really like the concepts portrayed in that movie series. You can find it on Netflix.
I have been suggested to watch black mirror before too. Looks like I will have to finally do it!! :D
AI is going to be yuge in the next 2 decades.
Yeah so yuuuuugeee!! Believe me.
Well said! Sounds like pulling out the plug will continue to remain as a Fail-safe in the future :D
hahah I just hope they don't draw their power from solar LOL
This is amazing and frightening at the same time. AI becomes more intelligent are we pour more data into them. I'm wondering if one day they could become self aware a la terminator Skynet.
I have actually written about it in the past. It's a scary thought and one that gives me nightmares, haha!!
If we gave the power to stop hacker to an AI. That would mean the AI would always be learning and one day look at even the creators of them as hackers. They'd probably stop civilization and it would be a live remake of iRobot. haha. Cheers!
#follow4follow
That's an interesting thought and one that might even come true. As always, the future will tell.
See you in the future! haha
Hard answer on this one... NO...... What is a computer.. it's basically an AI already. follows commands and sometimes can make its own decisions... Hacking in manipulating that AI into thinking otherwise... There will always be hacking... The technology will keep advancing and always defeat what JUST came out... It's like trying to stop CRAFTY and CREATIVE drug dealers.. THEY WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY.. When you think you have the doors and windows locked.. there is a hole in the ceiling... a crawl space in the basement.. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY IN... no AI can defeat that
Yes, that is the conclusion I reached too. It's an endless race for sure.
The AI vs AI scenario sounds very interesting, I wonder what would happen. Even though man crated the computer, the computer outperforms the human by far.
yeah, that would be an intense battle. It would either end very quickly or take a long time!
Great post!
Thank you :)
Nice post....
Thank you :)
thank you for sharing
thank you for reading :)
thank you for sharing
Resteeming due to very interesting and full of knowledge. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you for reading :)
:D
followed+upvoted+resteemed!
great article! super informative and interesting views! let's hope all goes in Humanity favor!
Thank you for reading :)
i did follow you check my post you need to follow me and resteemit
Brilliant article, great question. What happens if the AI starts hacking?
Apocalypse. Apocalypse would happen. haha!
The day AI becomes "self-aware", is the day we reach Singularity!
I am not really talking about AI becoming self-aware but it helping to defend against hackers.
I don't know the hackers are scary but you can rebuild from there if you do get hacked. Making these AI's smarter making our lives easier could be humanity's downfall. Yes we all want to simplify as well as secure our lives but at what cost. We have all seen the terminator or the matrix yes those are movies; but as AI's get smarter could this be a reality. A war that was started by hackers could end up being a war against the same machines we built. Who know's maybe I'm over analyzing the situation, but all I'm saying is we need to take precautions on going forward in the future. But these hackers do need to pay that's for sure, especially when money is going towards this crypto era. Dope post an some very good insight 🙏
You are not over analysing the situation at all. Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality. All of this could actually happen!
That is scary hopefully we don't get to that point though 🙏🙏
The future looks interesting . For sure at some point AI may be used to curb cyber attacks. However as u stated the rogue guys may have a counter AI. Only time will tell how things will turn out. Thanks for sharing
yeah, pretty intense, if you ask me. Let's see how the world handles this.
Thank you for posting this. This is a very relevant topic because we are definitely in deficit when it comes to cyber security talent, and if AI can fixed that problem that would be great. Of course as long as it doesn't create other problems :)
Followed and upvoted!
Best,
@milanademort
Thank you for reading :)
Have you ever heard of waitbutwhy.com? He does an INCREDIBLE article (long) about the implications of AI that you might very much life. I've read quite a lot about AI and his is by far my favorite take on the subject, would love to share it with you!
Are you in steemit chat or discord? : )
I haven't read the article but would love to. Always nice to increase your knowledge on a subject.
I can link it to you if you'd like!
Yeah, you can paste the link here!
Actually, are you in steemit chat or discord? If not, I'll gladly post here
Yes, I am on steemit chat with the same username.
AI defending systems - like in Neuromancer by William Gibbson ;- ]
I haven't read it but sure looks interesting!
That is a book that has been on my reading list for like 20 years! Every time I see it mentioned I'm like; oh yeah, I really want to read that Fuck it, I'm going to Amazon right now!!
Cg
very good explain
Thank you :)
That last scenario you describe would be pretty damn intense! I imagine the amount of info that passed between them in 5 minutes, could make up for all the info that has been Googled in the last 10 years!
I think on a personal note, as we get to the point where we are spending more time in virtualities, then personal identification is getting more important. I touched upon it in my sci-fi serries; Asimov's Ghost.
I think it will come down to some kind of nano-identifier, a kind of immutable DNA/Tech based blockchain. That way we can identify ourselves anonymously as well.
Cg
One thing is for sure. The future is going to be so different than what it is today that we might not even recognise it. Technology is going to really turn every stone imaginable.
Yup,
I think the doo-doo will really hit the fan when that first quantum computer cracks every password on earth in under a minute!
Cg
It is scary even imagining that!! Add to that the fact that quantum computers are going to become a reality very soon!!
Yea, I think it will be a battle of algorithms. But in reality, for the foreseeable future, these AI's are just going to be a result of people's ability to program them. Therefore any AI vs AI situation would be a proxy-war between two actual people.
Yes, for the forseeable future, they aren't going to go all sentient on us. haha.
Yeah, AI would be a necessity in the future as far as cybersecurity goes.