The AI age, MI5 needs all the help it can get

MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum says artificial intelligence is already changing the cybersecurity fight and is enabling “tailored” propaganda designed to radicalise individuals. Speaking as threats to the UK diversify, he warned that AI could also “change the stakes” on bioweapons, arguing it may allow even amateur actors—or hostile states—to spread diseases, or use the threat to coerce governments. MI5 has reportedly intercepted terrorists seeking to exploit AI to improve reconnaissance and attack methods, including AI-enabled drones. The piece also notes a range of past intelligence challenges, from sabotage and cyberattacks to disinformation bots.