Artificial intelligence (AI) might seem like an SCI-FI concept. However, it’s ever-growing in our modern age. AI has the potential to make our projects, business, and even lives better, but just like in the movies, there are some real concerns regarding it. Let’s see precisely the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence.
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What is AI?
AI is a branch of computer sciences that focuses on developing intelligent machines or software. Such robots, or programs, can think and work similarly to humans. They can be trained in problem-solving, learning and planning, speech recognition, etc.
How Does AI Improve the Technology Field?
In the technology field, AI has the potential to change everything as it gives the machines the ability to learn from experience, adjust, and perform similar to us. They can be trained to process large amounts of data, recognize patterns, and act on them.
A human would need several years of study in a particular field to improve a specific type of technology. However, AI can accumulate data much faster and from various fields and might even apply multiple scenarios at once to improve technology.
For example, in the medical field, AI can improve through deep learning and object identification and recognition and can be programmed to pinpoint cancer on medical images with high accuracy.
In cybersecurity, AI can be trained to recognize phishing emails and spam and block such malicious emails. They can determine standard traffic patterns and detect threat activity, analyze existing malware and spot them or updated variants. By studying passwords, AI can also come up with uncrackable variants. Through other automated mundane security tasks, it can relieve an IT security team, allowing them to focus on other priority tasks.
As AI performs high-volume repetitive computerized tasks, it can evolve without pause. Fatigue, boredom, or other issues is not something that can slow down AI as it would a human. With AI capabilities, any product, regardless of niche, can be improved.
Large amounts of data are crucial to improvement, and AI can perform several types of analyzing procedures to upgrade a product or software. Due to progressive learning algorithms, AI has the potential to do programming and acquire skills.
What are the Cybersecurity Risks of AI?
Though AI has many benefits, nothing can have only advantages. Just as a cybersecurity team can create and use AI in their security tasks, a hacker can use AI for hacking. AI can be used both for good and evil, so its progress might be hindered intentionally.
Both underuse and overuse of AI can result in disastrous consequences. For example, countries that underuse AI might lose competitive advantage in several sectors, including economy, infrastructure, security, etc.
On the other hand, overuse might lead countries to stagnate in certain aspects. For example, people might use AI in useless applications or in areas where it is not suited, like societal issues.
AI can also be hacked. Some AI might be used for manufacturing, taking care of orders, or other tasks. Hackers can easily take control of poorly designed or misused AI to their advantage.
AI Challenges and Issues
AI is still prone to errors just like everything else, and one big issue that stems from here is a liability. Who will take the blame if an AI goes rogue or causes damage? AI might also stir some issues related to fundamental rights and even democracy.
For example, AI might be influenced by data on age, sex, and ethnicity regarding loans, hiring, firing, criminal proceedings, and more. It will also impact jobs as many features might become automated, eliminating many jobs.
Ways To Combat AI Hacking
AI comes with both benefits and risks. However, the most crucial part is not to become entirely reliant on it. Business owners and individuals should take additional steps to protect their businesses and AI procedures regarding cybersecurity.
One might use a VPN, for example. A VPN is software that can hide your online data, encrypting it. Some of the best VPN providers can even hide your online data from your internet provider or government. Even the VPN providers won’t have access to your data.
Another essential aspect of avoiding AI hacking is training your employees and raising awareness. Employees should undergo regular cybersecurity training, following the best practices, so they know how to deal with a data breach or identify out-of-date apps or other issues.
Another way to test your cybersecurity and AI features is to hire cybersecurity experts to try to hack you intentionally. This way, you can become aware of the weak points and work with the security team to improve them. Don’t let them be too dependent on your AI processes, and have a team of cybersecurity experts regularly analyze your AI procedures.
