MI6 boss Moore expects big changes in espionage by artificial intelligence. According to him, British agents are already using them to disrupt arms deliveries to Russia. However, the “human factor” remains indispensable.
The director of the British foreign intelligence service MI6, Richard Moore, sees great potential in artificial intelligence (AI) for the work of his agents, but also a danger. British spies are already using AI to thwart arms sales to Russia, Moore said in a speech in the Czech capital of Prague.
At the same time, he predicted that Western intelligence officials would increasingly have to track how enemy states were using AI in “harmful, reckless and unethical ways”.
He described China as MI6’s most important strategic focus. In the past, the MI6 chief has warned that the West could be left behind by its rivals when it comes to AI. His authority intends “to win the race together with our allies to master the ethical and safe use of AI.”
Moore emphasizes characteristics of agents
Artificial intelligence will change the world of espionage, but will not make spies superfluous, he explained. The “human factor” remains indispensable even in an era in which machine learning is developing rapidly. When artificial intelligence “trawls the open source ocean,” it will be all the more valuable to find the secrets that lie beyond the reach of their nets.
Having the “unique qualities of human agents in the right place” is likely to become even more significant. Finally, they have the ability “to influence decisions within a government or terrorist group,” Moore said.
MI6 chief hardly appears in public
Public statements about their work are still considered something of a novelty for British intelligence. Until 1992, the government would not even acknowledge the existence of Military Intelligence, Section 6, as the service is officially called. Appearances by MI6 directors are correspondingly rare.
Moore has only given one public speech since his appointment to head the foreign intelligence agency, in November 2021. Even then, he discussed the influence and threats of artificial intelligence. He accused the West of not taking the negative potential of AI seriously enough. He also complained at the time that Western countries were lagging behind rival states that were investing money and ambition in this and other modern technologies.
In that speech, Moore also declared China “by far the top priority” for MI6. Britain and its allies must also take action against Russia’s activities that run counter to the international legal order, he warned. Three months later, the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine began.