At the fourth International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit'24) organised by our Presidency's Directorate of Communications under the theme "AI in Communication: Trends, Traps and Transition," a panel titled "AI-Driven Cybersecurity in Communication: Protecting Integrity and Trust'' was held.
The panel, moderated by journalist Miranda Schunke, featured Abdullah Yasin Nur from the University of New Orleans, Head of the Research Group of the Johanneum Research Andreas Windisch, Founder of the Marlinix Mahir Yüksel, Monika Manolova from Digital National Alliance Bulgaria, and Founder and President of Trocadero Forum Institute (TFI) Ellen Wasylina.
Speaking at the panel, Abdullah Yasin Nur from the University of New Orleans underlined that artificial intelligence represents present time, not the future, and that it exists in all aspects of life, saying, ''It exists in the fields of security, defence, and attack. Both sides will deploy artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence will provide solutions for overcoming them."
Noting that privacy is the primary concern in cyber security, Nur warned, "There is a recent trend of creating pictures with artificial intelligence. People shared these pictures. However, you should consider how hackers would use it.''
Nur pointed out that artificial intelligence is capable of persuading people and channelling their concerns as it accesses their information and thoughts.
Noting that personality profiling by artificial intelligence could pose serious threats to people, Nur said, “The issue of personality profiling is of great importance. Privacy matters. We usually use a few different password combinations. Artificial intelligence facilitates the prediction of these passwords through profiling."
Nur stated that people are the weakest link in cyber security, adding that cyber attack groups initially target individuals and then attempt to access institutions through them.
One must beware of the misuse of artificial intelligence
Head of the Research Group at the Johanneum Research Windisch stated that studies have been conducted on the use of artificial intelligence in cyber security and that machine learning techniques are also employed in this context, pointing out that one must beware of the misuse of artificial intelligence.
Emphasising that abnormalities can be immediately identified through artificial intelligence, Windisch said, “It is a constantly developing field. The ill-intended will be more alert than you if you are not alert and do not invest in them. You can detect abnormalities through artificial intelligence."
Noting that critical infrastructures can be targeted with these technologies, Windisch underscored the necessity of training technology systems to protect against individuals with malicious intent.
Windisch stated that they are collaborating with the Austrian government to provide assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the use of artificial intelligence, asserting that innovations in this field are highly beneficial.
"I have seen the devastating effects of cyber security"
Emphasising that he has seen the devastating effects of cyber security, the founder of Marlinix, Yüksel, stated that the internet hackers who emerged in the 1990s were individually motivated individuals; however, the peril of cyber attacks increased after the 2000s as states assumed control of this field.
Yüksel argued that warfare can be categorised as either conventional or hybrid, with hybrid warfare employing artificial intelligence being the most dangerous among them.
Reminding that a cyber attack was conducted prior to the conventional war during the invasion of Ossetia in 2008, resulting in a power outage, Mahir Yüksel also remarked that Kiev employed hackers to conduct successful attacks against Moscow during the Russia-Ukraine war.
Yüksel stated that artificial intelligence is already being used to assist wars, and in the future, only machines will be used in combat, so the transition to this process should be accelerated.
Underscoring that artificial intelligence is just as important in defence as an attack in cybersecurity, Yüksel said that machines can be trained against attacks and develop systems that detect threats, thus strengthening defence.
''Digital technologies should be accessible to all''
Manolova from Digital National Alliance Bulgaria noted that everyone should be informed about the threats to cybersecurity and stated, ''Digital technologies should be accessible to all''.
Claiming that artificial intelligence has replaced search engines, Manolova warned, "It (artificial intelligence) acts with our emotions. It responds according to how we manage it. It can be the best sales representative. You can see what's most important in our area. You can experience a different reality. It is different from how people feel where we live. You can become disconnected from reality, and it can be difficult to comprehend.''
Manolova cautioned against artificial intelligence-based manipulations, and continued:
''It could be phishing or some other type of software attack. There could be millions of digital attacks per day. You must exercise greater caution. There are some hidden threats. One of the most serious challenges we face is disinformation. Our AI literacy is highly poor. We need to understand how certain systems work. There is a world that exists online. We need to understand that what we see is not always real. You must verify from at least two sources."
Artificial intelligence enables the development of sustainable solutions
Founder of TFI Wasylina noted that one of the cyber threats is disinformation and said, “This issue concerns all small and large businesses.”
Pointing out that the cost of any attack on healthcare systems would be millions of dollars, Wasylina stated this scenario could be improved by 90 per cent by ensuring cyber security through artificial intelligence.
Wasylina pointed out that some companies have enhanced their efficiency with artificial intelligence by developing sustainable products and supply chains, and they have achieved favourable outcomes by prioritising customer demands and needs.
"Artificial intelligence has played an important role in my life”
In the session titled “A New Frontier in Artistic Technology”, Nigerian AI artist and storyteller Malik Afegbua discussed the role of AI in the business world.
Afegbua emphasised that artificial intelligence is employed to create fictional elements that do not exist and that when applied to storytelling, it produces remarkable outcomes.
Noting that artificial intelligence can reach wider audiences, Afegbua stated that technology has played an important role in his life in recent years and has shaped storytelling.
Afegbua stated that artificial intelligence enabled him to work with major brands like Marvel Studios and create the art direction and costumes for the movie Blade, adding that the experience he acquired from artificial intelligence has helped him shape himself.
