MI5 chief: Humanity is facing an adversary smarter than itself for the first time

In his annual speech on security threats, MI5 chief Ken McCallum said humanity is facing an adversary “smarter than us” for the first time, one capable of thinking further ahead than humans. He said AI is intensifying the attack-and-defence contest and can generate propaganda and radicalization content tailored to specific individuals. Terrorists who tried to use AI to improve reconnaissance and attack methods have been arrested, and AI-powered drones pose new risks. Over the past decade, the number of threats from hostile states handled by MI5 has quadrupled, mainly involving Russia, Iran and China, with Russia remaining the foremost threat.