GCHQ will use AI to combat child abuse and human trafficking

GCHQ has committed to using AI in a 'fair and transparent' way

The UK's intelligence and security organisation, GCHQ, has laid out a plan to use artificial intelligence technology to protect citizens from a broad array of issues, including child abuse, disinformation and human trafficking.

On Wednesday, the agency published a paper titled 'Ethics of AI: Pioneering a New National Security' - describing how it intends to put AI tools at the heart of GCHQ's future operations to combat increasingly sophsticated criminal activities.

The agency believes it can use AI to help expose disinformation campaigns by adversary nations trying to undermine the UK's democracy.

By scouring massive quantities of data, AI tools could help to map criminal networks that carry out illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons and humans, while covering their activities using encryption techniques and cryptocurrencies.

AI tools could help GCHQ automate the scanning of chat rooms for evidence of grooming, to prevent child sexual abuse. Humans would struggle to identify such information, given the massive quantity of data.

The tech industry reported more than 69 million child sexual exploitation videos and images in 2019, according to official government figures. A large number of such images were found being shared via online platforms, while the rest were exchanged via the dark web or encrypted communications.

In recent years, several tech companies have introduced measures to fight online child abuse. YouTube and Facebook have put mechanisms in place to tag and trace videos and images violating their standards.; Facebook's algorithms for flagging objectionable images and videos are also available on GitHub. Microsoft has also launched a tool to help people review chat-based conversations and detect online grooming.

GCHQ says hostile countries are also using AI to automate the production of 'deepfake' videos and audios, to influence public opinion.

GCHQ's paper has come at the time when the UK government is planning to publish its Integrated Review into defence, security, and foreign policy, in which technology is expected to play a significant role.

The paper considers AI transparency and explains how GCHQ will ensure that AI tools are used in a fair and transparent way, by applying existing tests of necessity and proportionality, using an AI ethical code of practice, and employing more diverse talent to help govern AI use.

"AI is already invaluable in many of our missions as we protect the country, its people and way of life," Jeremy Fleming, the director of GCHQ, said in a statement. He added that AI and other technical developments bring great opportunities, but also "pose significant ethical challenges for all of society."

"I hope it will inspire further thinking at home and abroad about how we can ensure fairness, transparency and accountability to underpin the use of AI," he added.