For 60 years, the Munich Safety Convention has introduced collectively world leaders, companies, specialists and civil society for frank discussions about strengthening and safeguarding democracies and the worldwide world order. Amid mounting geopolitical challenges, vital elections around the globe, and more and more subtle cyber threats, these conversations are extra pressing than ever. And the brand new function of AI in each offense and protection provides a dramatic new twist.
Earlier this week, Google’s Menace Evaluation Group (TAG), Mandiant and Belief & Security groups launched a new report displaying that Iranian-backed teams are utilizing data warfare to affect public perceptions of the Israel-Hamas warfare. It additionally had the most recent updates on our prior report on the cyber dimensions of Russia’s warfare in Ukraine. TAG individually reported on the expansion of industrial adware that governments and unhealthy actors are utilizing to threaten journalists, human rights defenders, dissidents and opposition politicians. And we proceed to see reviews about risk actors exploiting vulnerabilities in legacy techniques to compromise the safety of governments and personal companies.
Within the face of those rising threats, we’ve got a historic alternative to make use of AI to shore up the cyber defenses of the world’s democracies, offering new defensive instruments to companies, governments and organizations on a scale beforehand obtainable to solely the most important organizations. At Munich this week we’ll be speaking about how we are able to use new investments, commitments, and partnerships to handle AI dangers and seize its alternatives. Democracies can not thrive in a world the place attackers use AI to innovate however defenders can not.
Utilizing AI to strengthen cyber defenses
For many years, cyber threats have challenged safety professionals, governments, companies and civil society. AI can tip the scales and provides defenders a decisive benefit over attackers. However like several expertise, AI may also be utilized by unhealthy actors and develop into a vector for vulnerabilities if it is not securely developed and deployed.
That’s why immediately we launched an AI Cyber Protection Initiative that harnesses AI’s safety potential by way of a proposed coverage and expertise agenda designed to assist safe, empower and advance our collective digital future. The AI Cyber Protection Initiative builds on our Safe AI Framework (SAIF) designed to assist organizations construct AI instruments and merchandise which are safe by default.
As a part of the AI Cyber Protection Initiative, we’re launching a brand new “AI for Cybersecurity” startup cohort to assist strengthen the transatlantic cybersecurity ecosystem, and increasing our $15 million dedication for cybersecurity skilling throughout Europe. We’re additionally committing $2 million to bolster cybersecurity analysis initiatives and open sourcing Magika, the Google AI-powered file sort identification system. And we’re persevering with to spend money on our safe, AI-ready community of worldwide knowledge facilities. By the tip of 2024, we may have invested over $5 billion in knowledge facilities in Europe — serving to help safe, dependable entry to a variety of digital providers, together with broad generative AI capabilities like our Vertex AI platform.
Safeguarding democratic elections
This 12 months, elections might be taking place throughout Europe, the United States, India and dozens of different international locations. We’ve a protracted historical past of supporting the integrity of democratic elections, most not too long ago with the announcement of our EU prebunking marketing campaign forward of parliamentary elections. The marketing campaign – which teaches audiences methods to spot widespread manipulation strategies earlier than they encounter them through brief video adverts on social – kicks off this spring in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Poland. And we’re totally dedicated to persevering with our efforts to cease abuse on our platforms, floor high-quality data to voters, and provides folks details about AI-generated content material to assist them make extra knowledgeable selections.
There are comprehensible considerations concerning the potential misuse of AI to create deep fakes and mislead voters. However AI additionally presents a singular alternative to forestall abuse at scale. Google’s Belief & Security groups are tackling this problem, leveraging AI to boost our abuse-fighting efforts, implement our insurance policies at scale and adapt shortly to new conditions or claims.
We proceed to companion with our friends throughout the {industry}, working collectively to share analysis and counter threats and abuse – together with the danger of misleading AI content material. Simply final week, we joined the Coalition for Content material Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), which is engaged on a content material credential to supply transparency into how AI-generated is made and edited over time. C2PA builds on our cross-industry collaborations round accountable AI with the Frontier Mannequin Discussion board, the Partnership on AI, and different initiatives.
Working collectively to defend the rules-based worldwide order
The Munich Safety Convention has stood the check of time as a discussion board to handle and confront checks to democracy. For 60 years, democracies have handed these checks, addressing historic shifts — just like the one offered by AI — collectively. Now we’ve got a chance to return collectively as soon as once more – as governments, companies, teachers and civil society – to forge new partnerships, harness AI’s potential for good, and strengthen the rules-based world order.
