Innovation is integral: It’s led to increased efficiency, medical advances, streamlined communication and resolutions for a number of problems. However, with those same technological breakthroughs available worldwide, there are opportunities to utilize them for nefarious purposes—much like any powerful tool.
This year especially, artificial intelligence’s intensified functionality has led to conversations about job replacement, technological sentience and the ability to convincingly spread disinformation with generative images. Of course, concerns about data theft and devices storing both verbal and text conversations have been a point of discussion for decades, from the perception that government agencies are surveilling smartphones to the golden rule of social media that items posted online are there forever. Security systems are augmented accordingly, but there is always a risk that hackers and data thieves are still one step ahead.
Content creators in particular are facing a not-yet-legislated infringement upon intellectual property, or IP, as AI both learns from and replicates human input. Furthermore, there are concerns that AI generation will become indistinguishable from human labor, such as script writing, art and, dangerously, even news articles that can mislead the public. In March of last year, the U.S. Copyright Office launched a new Artificial Intelligence Initiative to both investigate and to resolve AI’s usage of intellectual property without compensation to the creator.
With all of this in mind, people are eager to utilize technologies that they have become accustomed to while also protecting their privacy—and their peace of mind. South Jersey Biz spoke with President and CEO of PCH Technologies Timothy Guim for expert cybersecurity and IT advice during an unprecedented time of automation.
South Jersey Biz: What are some of the most common concerns you’ve been hearing lately about technological security, and what are the best options for data protection as hackers and spyware advance and find ways to get through the latest security options?
Timothy Guim: The proliferation and advancement of AI technology have become a significant concern among business owners. While AI offers potential benefits in streamlining operations, there is a growing apprehension about its potential misuse and ethical implications. Employees using AI technology may be unintentionally disclosing confidential company information that becomes part of a public large language model.
Prioritizing business continuity through robust backup systems is crucial. Regular validation and testing of these systems ensure swift recovery in the event of a cyber incident, minimizing disruptions to business operations.
SJB: How can companies and individuals protect themselves from AI-based platforms using content without owners’ permission and against IP theft in a borderless world, while also arming themselves with those same advanced digital tools to level the playing field? Is legislation necessary?
TG: To mitigate the risk of unauthorized use of content by AI-based platforms, proactive measures such as establishing comprehensive data governance and compliance policies are essential. Access to sensitive data should be restricted, and safeguards must be implemented to protect intellectual property rights.
There is no silver bullet to handle these situations: It requires a multi-faceted approach. While using advanced digital tools can level the playing field, prioritizing compliance policies and implementing reasonable safeguards remain important. Unfortunately, there’s no foolproof method to prevent theft completely.
There’s not just one device, platform or provider that is more or less at risk; rather, it’s a matter of where you place your system and the safeguards around it. If there is a legacy system being used that does not have the ability to get security updates, it would need to have compensating controls to balance the security risk such as keeping the system segmented and off the public internet.
