Recently, the head of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Richard Moore, and the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Bill Burns, jointly published their first article, sharing how they utilize generative artificial intelligence in their intelligence work.
Image source note: The image was generated by AI, provided by the image licensing service Midjourney
Burns and Moore stated in the article that AI technology, especially generative AI, is helping them enhance the efficiency of their intelligence activities. From the rapid summarization of information to the generation of creative ideas, and even assisting in identifying significant information within large datasets, the application of these technologies has greatly optimized their workflow. They mentioned that the intelligence community is rapidly adopting emerging technologies to ensure effectiveness and secrecy in the modern complex security environment.
In a conversation with the Financial Times editor Roula Khalaf, Moore revealed that MI6 is using large language models to process vast amounts of extreme content on the internet. This technology helps agents better understand and grasp the language and culture of extreme communities, enabling effective communication with these groups in practical work. This approach demonstrates the intelligence agencies' efforts to adapt to new technologies and understand criminal and extremist behaviors.
Moore and Burns also pointed out that the challenges brought by today's technology have posed unprecedented threats to the international order, especially since the Cold War. They believe that the Ukraine war has shown how technology combines with traditional weapons to change the course of war. In this conflict, satellite imagery, drones, cyber warfare, and social media have intertwined at an astonishing speed and scale.