The study, published on Wednesday by 25 technical and public policy researchers from Cambridge, Oxford and Yale universities along with privacy and military experts, sounded the alarm for the potential misuse of AI by rogue states, criminals and lone-wolf attackers. The researchers said the malicious use of AI poses imminent threats to digital, physical and political security by allowing for large-scale, finely targeted, highly efficient attacks. The study focuses on plausible developments within five years. "We all agree there are a lot of positive applications of AI," Miles Brundage, a research fellow at Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute. "There was a gap in the literature around the issue of malicious use."

More than two dozen experts from top universities and research organizations in the US and the UK wrote the alarming report about the malicious use of AI, which was published Wednesday by Cambridge University. "For many decades hype outstripped fact in terms of AI and machine learning. No longer," said Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh, a Cambridge academic who is one of the authors. Related: Google CEO: AI is'more profound than electricity or fire' The report warns that artificial intelligence could usher in a new wave of cyberattacks in which computers use speech technology to impersonate targets or carry out "superhuman hacking" by taking control of drones, driverless vehicles or even autonomous weapons systems on the battlefield. Some of the predictions sound like dystopian nightmares taken straight from a Hollywood movie or an episode of "Black Mirror."

Artificial Intelligence promises many positive developments, but experts have warned that the technology could be exploited for malicious purposes. The warning came in a new report from the Future of Humanity Institute, with the authors drawn from leading universities such as Cambridge, Oxford and Yale, along with privacy advocates and military experts. The report builds on the findings of a two day workshop in Oxford back in February 2017. Among the risks the report highlights are that AI could misused by rogue states, criminals and lone-wolf attackers. The researchers said that artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities are growing at an unprecedented rate, and whilst a lot of attention has focused on its positive developments, "less attention has historically been paid to the ways in which artificial intelligence can be used maliciously."

To help close the gap, one Pentagon unit is now offering $100,000 in prizes to develop algorithms that can interpret high-resolution satellite images. The contest is called the xView Detection Challenge, and starts next month. Entrants will use a trove of hand-annotated satellite images released by the Pentagon to train algorithms to identify details relevant to disaster relief or humanitarian missions. Objects of interest include damaged buildings, utility trucks, and fishing boats. The project is being run by DIUx, an organization started by former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to make it easier for his department to work with technology companies, particularly startups.

Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence now seem to go hand in hand as complementary weapons against crime, but what lies ahead? Manish Bahl is the senior director for Cognizant's Centre for the Future of Work. He is responsible for thought leadership around code halos, digital transformation and the future of work. He works with IT and business decision-makers to provide vision on digital transformation and its effects on business, people, technology and culture. "Cognizant's Centre for the Future of Work is a dynamic thought leadership powerhouse that examines how work is changing, and will change, in response to the emergence of new technologies, new business practices, and new workers," he explains.

In 2017, MITSloan Management Review (MIT SMR) conducted a global survey of more than 3,000 executives, managers, and analysts on the current state of AI and its potential. The results reveal that there's still a significant gap between "ambition and execution."

Essentially, no one wants suffocating regulations and laws, yet a line has to be drawn somewhere. Where exactly that should be? Well, the debate is only just starting. Clark reckoned policymakers are "slightly concerned about AI, but not generally not aware of its rate of progress." He hoped to see more people hosting more workshops, where scientists, engineers, those advising lawmakers, and other experts, can raise their concerns. "This is the beginning of a dialogue on this topic, not the end," Brundage added.

FRANKFURT, Germany - Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are raising risks that malicious users will soon exploit the technology to mount automated hacking attacks, cause driverless car crashes or turn commercial drones into targeted weapons, a new report warns. The study, published on Wednesday by 25 technical and public policy researchers from Cambridge, Oxford and Yale universities along with privacy and military experts, sounded the alarm for the potential misuse of AI by rogue states, criminals and lone-wolf attackers. The researchers said the malicious use of AI poses imminent threats to digital, physical and political security by allowing for large-scale, finely targeted, highly efficient attacks. The study focuses on plausible developments within five years. "We all agree there are a lot of positive applications of AI," Miles Brundage, a research fellow at Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute. "There was a gap in the literature around the issue of malicious use."

"For many decades hype outstripped fact in terms of AI and machine learning. "This report looks at the practices that just don't work anymore and suggests broad approaches that might help: for example, how to design software and hardware to make it less hackable - and what type of laws and international regulations might work in tandem with this." The report urges policy makers and researchers to work together to understand and prepare for how the technology could be used maliciously, and calls for developers to be proactive and mindful of how it could be misused. Those who contributed to the study include the Elon Musk-founded non-profit research firm OpenAI and international digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are raising risks that malicious users will soon exploit the technology to mount automated hacking attacks, cause driverless car crashes or turn commercial drones into targeted weapons, a new report warns. The study, published on Wednesday by 25 technical and public policy researchers from Cambridge, Oxford and Yale universities along with privacy and military experts, sounded the alarm for the potential misuse of AI by rogue states, criminals and lone-wolf attackers. The researchers said the malicious use of AI poses imminent threats to digital, physical and political security by allowing for large-scale, finely targeted, highly efficient attacks. The study focuses on plausible developments within five years. "We all agree there are a lot of positive applications of AI," Miles Brundage, a research fellow at Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute.