Ravaging the Digital Landscape: Overcoming the Perils of IT Dependence
Document to Seize Control
In the digitized world, mountains of data amassed from various sources are crunched and reimagined using AI technologies. Be it theft, compromise, distortion, or destruction, data faces a litany of IT risks from which humanity remains entangled - and likely forever. Each additional byte of digitized information only fans the flames of these risks, making us ever more vulnerable.
Even with state-of-the-art digital systems prudently engineered with these risks in mind, we are still at the mercy of cunning hackers, foreign foes, or careless sysadmins. The data's your oyster, and most of the time, someone's got a pearl diver's pick. In 2024, for instance, 200 billion rubles were pilfered from Russian citizens, their data the loot. Or when a sysadmin swipes the honey using an unsecured port, supplying their own jar at the expense of yours.
The Perils of Foreign Shores
The perils we face become all the more menacing as the IT systems we rely on are primarily of foreign origin. The smartphones we touch, the servers we store, the routers that route all of our data - most of it belongs to unfriendly nations, teeming with secret backdoors and potential threats.
In times of international turmoil, these systems can pose a significant risk of sudden disconnections, data access, and application terminations. Remember the explosion of devices in Lebanon? The difference being, Hezbollah's prized tech wasn't exactly holey either, it was just bursting with unexpected connections.
Additional safety measures and domestic software won't shield us from interception, as interception can occur at the device level, bypassing the system altogether.
The Unfriendly AI
Strides toward digitalizing governance promise a formidable independent cabal of officials, ridding the ranks of corruption and self-interest. But, reality's a rough mistress, and she won't be contained by the constraints of an electronic leash. Instead, we should expect a decline in the perceived value of officialdom, leading to apathy, dissatisfaction, and a career phrase that'd make Don Draper proud: "Too cool to serve."
Consider this: an AI system unveiled at the "Cybersecurity of Finance" forum witnessed a staggering 90,000 times increase in incidents last year (and that's not a typo). It wasn't until scrutiny that the tragicomedy unfolded - they wanted to impose fines on millions of newly violating citizens, but they didn't have the hands, metaphorically or otherwise, to do it themselves.
Tools of Isolation and Distancing
The prospect of communicating with AI in place of a real, live person when dealing with the government or officialdom may not appeal to the average Joe. Think of the many public institutions, banks, and customer service lines that now rely on chatbots. Where users spent hours navigating the labyrinthine questions of those electronic helpers, now they're left stranded on hold for eternity, or worse, dealing with non-existent entities.
Chatbots have upped their game statistically, but downsized us in real-time moments. They can speedily deny your appeal or answer a question that was never asked. But they fail to deliver when it comes to solving genuinely complicated problems.
Meanwhile, chatbot systems glibly rattle off statistics that'll serve their masters, boasting of a multitude of resolved queries. Little do they care whether they're actually helpful or relevant; all they've been designed to do is reduce the workload for their human counterparts. Do we want more separation between citizens and their officials, more opportunities for deflection of responsibility?
The Savior or the Fallen Idol?
AI's deified amid an onslaught of progress hymns, with tech enthusiasts claiming it'll save the world. But upon closer examination, today's AI is fueled primarily by deep neural networks, or "deep learning," which are currently in the throes of the hype cycle. Unpredictability plagues AI, with strange glitches that defy logic and common sense popping up uncontrollably. AI boasts a so-called "black box" problem, where it's hard to know when and why their divine child will go rogue.
It's ill-advised to place too much trust in AI, as its unpredictable and irrational decisions pose risks in crucial areas. AI advocates argue that humans make mistakes more frequently, but ultimately only humans can be held accountable - and AI can't be, making it impossible to place blame when things go awry.
This reliance on AI makes us complacent, blunting our critical thinking abilities, and fostering a carefree disposition. Moreover, AI's not the liberator we've built it up to be. Instead, as Gartner's hype cycle indicates, it's more volatile than stable, likely to break our spirits, rather than inspire progress.
Another chink in the AI armor: electronic systems are only functional with two critical elements: electricity and internet access. However, constant drone attacks, infrastructure failures, and equipment malfunctions threaten our steady supply of both resources. Without electricity and internet access, the blindSummary: Ominous perils lurk as we increasingly rely on foreign-made IT systems, AI, and digitalization in government and critical infrastructure. These threats usher in risks of political influence, cyber attacks, economic disruptions, data breaches, technological dependence, and even personal accountability loss. Wage caution, cultivate local IT talent and industry, bolster your cyber defenses, and anticipate emerging threats. Shun the complacency of over-trusting artificial intelligence and embrace your own ability to critically analyze, adapt, and evolve in the face of this rapidly changing digital landscape.
- The financial sector is particularly vulnerable to the perils of AI, as an AI system at a "Cybersecurity of Finance" forum experienced a sudden 90,000-fold increase in incidents last year, revealing the potential risks and unpredictability inherent in these systems.
- In the realm of cybersecurity, politics, and general-news, foreign powers can manipulate digital systems to interfere in our domestic affairs, with most of our smartphones, servers, and routers being of foreign origin, often harboring secret backdoors and potential threats.
- As technology advances and digitalization permeates our daily lives, businesses must remain vigilant against cyber attacks, data breaches, and digital dependency, striving to develop robust local IT talent, industry, and cyberdefenses to protect against foreign interference and maintain control over their own digital infrastructure.
