F-Secure: AI-based recommendation engines are easy to manipulate

Cybersecurity giant F-Secure has warned that AI-based recommendation systems are easy to manipulate. Recommendations often come under increased scrutiny around major elections due to concerns that bias could, in extreme cases, lead to electoral manipulation. However, the recommendations that are delivered to people day-to-day matter just as much, if not more. "As we rely more and more on AI in the future, we need to understand what we need to do to protect it from potential abuse. Having AI and machine learning power more and more of the services we depend on requires us to understand its security strengths and weaknesses, in addition to the benefits we can obtain, so that we can trust the results. Secure AI is the foundation of trustworthy AI." Sophisticated disinformation efforts – such as those organised by Russia's infamous "troll farms" – have spread dangerous lies around COVID-19 vaccines, immigration, and high-profile figures.