In brief: We've long heard cautionary tales of aggressive nations and rogue states using AI and machine learning for nefarious purposes. According to a new report by a think tank, North Korea is heavily investing in these areas, and Western cloud computing services should do their part to slow down the country's advancements.
North Korea has been the subject of numerous UN sanctions as most of the world tries to slow its nuclear weapons program. Limiting the hermit country's ability to import hardware has impacted its development of AI/ML, but researchers are finding other methods of utilizing this technology.
The report comes from think tank The Stimson Center, which is behind the 38 North project. Hyuk Kim of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) authored "North Korea's Artificial Intelligence Research: Trends and Potential Civilian and Military Applications," a study that warns of Kim Jong Un's government using AI for military applications such as wargaming and battle simulations.
"North Korea's pursuit of a wargaming simulation program using ML reveals intentions to better comprehend operational environments against potential adversaries," Kim notes.
Kim adds that as North Korea can't access the hardware needed for advanced artificial intelligence research, it could turn to cloud computing services, such as Google Colab, Microsoft Azure, and other companies that offer AI/ML development environments.
Renting these cloud services from Western tech giants could negate the effectiveness of the sanctions and restrictions placed on the country, Kim argues. He suggests that cloud service providers enhance their customer screening processes to ensure North Korea can't use their systems.
It's not just cloud computing services that North Korea could exploit. Scholars from the country have been seeking assistance from foreign researchers, including those from China, at international conferences. Kim suggests organizers of these events do more to ensure these sanctions-violating collaborations don't occur.
Earlier today, Seoul's spy agency said it had detected signs that North Korean hackers had used generative AI to search for targets and seek technologies needed for hacking, writes Reuters.
North Korea has recognized the value of AI for years. It established the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute in 2013, and companies in the country, which heavily restricts and monitors public communications, have been promoting commercial products that feature AI/ML technologies in recent times. During the Covid-19 pandemic, North Korea used an AI model for evaluating proper mask usage and prioritizing clinical symptom indicators of infection.