UK spies used AI to disrupt Russian weapons supply, claims MI6 chief Richard Moore

After writers, researchers, and artists using artificial intelligence (AI), it has now taken its place in espionage as well. Richard Moore, chief of the British spy agency Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as Military Intelligence 6 (MI6), said in a public speech in Prague that the agency has already used AI to disrupt arms supplies to Russia.

Moore invited Russians to spy for the UK

Richard Moore predicted that Western spies will have to increase their focus on tracking the malign use of AI by hostile states. He also gave an open invitation to Russians who oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine to spy for Britain. He reportedly said, “Our doors are always open.”

Humans can do things that machines cannot

Describing AI as a great asset as well as a threat, Moore said that British staff is working to combine their skills with AI to identify the flow of weapons used against Ukraine. Moore, in his statement, said, “Human intelligence in the age of AI will increasingly be defined as those things that machines cannot do, albeit we should expect the frontiers of machine capability to advance with startling speed.”

AI cannot replace human spies

Richard Moore said that the human factor will continue to be important in the era of fast-growing machine learning. He said the characteristics of a well-placed human agent are even more important, adding that spies have the ability to influence decisions made by governments or terrorist organisations.

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