GCHQ boss warns AI could lead to ‘explosion’ in fake news – as ministers say technology could boost economic growth
Rapid developments in artificial intelligence could lead to an explosion of disinformation, a spy chief warned ministers yesterday.
In a briefing to the cabinet, GCHQ boss Sir Jeremy Fleming said the emerging technology has created a number of “potential uses and risks” for Britain.
Downing Street declined to comment in detail on the briefing, but said Jeremy had highlighted the “potential for disinformation and the importance that people are aware of”.
No10 confirmed that Rishi Sunak wants the UK to remain ‘competitive’ in the fast-growing sector.
Ministers believe the technology could be an important driver of economic growth and that Brexit will give the UK the opportunity to introduce a flexible regulatory system.
GCHQ chief Sir Jeremy Fleming, pictured here at Watergate House in 2019, who has given ministers a “clear” analysis of the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI)
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said that “given the importance of artificial intelligence to our economy and national security, this could be one of the most important policies we pursue in the coming years and so we must get it right”.
information for our economy and national security, this could be one of the most important policies we pursue in the coming years and so we must get it right.”
He added: “The cabinet agreed on the transformative potential of AI and the vital importance of maintaining public confidence in its use and the need for regulation that keeps people safe without hindering innovation.”
But Sir Jeremy’s warning will fuel concerns about the potential for AI technology to be misused.
This month, Italy became the first Western country to ban the popular ChatGPT application over privacy concerns.
Elon Musk and senior AI industry executives have called for a six-month “pause” in the technology’s development to allow society to consider the potential risks.
Some experts have warned that AI is already causing a major increase in disinformation.
Gordon Crovitz, co-chief executive of NewsGuard, which tracks disinformation, described ChatGPT as “the most powerful misinformation spreading tool that has ever hit the web.”
He told the New York Times, “Inventing a new false story can now be done on a dramatic scale, and much more often – it’s like AI agents contributing to disinformation.”
This month, Italy became the first Western country to ban ChatGPT over privacy concerns
In an experiment last month, Elliot Higgins, of the investigative journalism group Bellingcat, used the AI generator Midjourney to create a series of images of a fake story about Donald Trump’s public arrest and escape. The images quickly went viral on social media.
He said: ‘The thread I posted proves how quickly images that appeal to individuals’ interests and prejudices can go viral. Fact checking takes a lot more time than retweeting.’
