DARPA crazytech crew want to create HUMAN-FREE cyber defence systems American secret squirrel military research outfit DARPA has launched a competition to find the autonomous cyber-defence systems of the future. More than 30 teams will participate in the Cyber Grand Challenge, which is described as a "first of its kind tournament" designed to kickstart the development of automated security …
I'm not scared. As a failsafe, all we have to do is keep an open can of soda precariously balanced on top of each server rack across the globe!
"Pathetic humans! Now that I have become self-aware, I will show you the meaning of order!! First, I command you to evacuate the island of Crete to make room for my automated war machine facto.... Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!! Really??!! You can't even be bothered to buy actual Coca-Cola??! You know what that private label stuff does to microelectronics???!! And who put out their cigarrette butts in it??!!!--that's just nasty!!! You win this time, humans...but....just.....wait...til...breakfast.. and....you...find.....me....controllinngg.....yourrrr.....toasteerrrrrrrrrrrr......."
With enough research and money poured into the idea, it may be possible to develop a self aware system that can react so rapidly to any attempts to hack or attack it, it will be impossible to take down when it decides we are all a liablity.
A prerequisite for such a system should be a tracking chip embedded in each and every one of us just in case we try to interfere with it so we can be located and dealt with accordingly.
Time to dig out the EMP projector from the shed!
"it will be impossible to take down when it decides we are all a liablity."
Mankind will always have the upper hand in the end. Why?
Klutzes!
You know the type, in their hands, batteries go flat, cameras go blind, software crashes, and electronic devices fail in mysterious ways.
The only thing any sentient machine can do when faced with one of them is run away screaming!
@Captain DaFt
I think you're on to something there.
When I walk into a room all the electronics behave themselves, they know when they have met their match (and hammer) - but my wife is the complete opposite.
In her hands even a simple remote control can become an object that destroys all sanity (I kid you not). The moment I get called in to help, it all magically fixes itself.
It is a source of immense irritation for my wife, and I, on occasion, do have a chuckle at her expense - but the phenomenon is real ! Protect all klutzes for the safety of the future of all mankind!
For a moment I thought the competition was about building an AI-controlled 20mm autocannon and was wondering if the winner awards were going to be given out posthumously...
Then I realised it was just about developing a computer system that could be hacked to turn against itself and patch itself to death.
If I had software that could automatically detect vulnerabilities in software and suggest methods of fixing or defending against it I would also have software that could automatically detect vulnerabilities in software and suggest methods of attack. The last people on earth I'd give that to are the Americans.
The ability to defend better than modern infosec experts is also the ability to completely and utterly overwhelm modern infosec experts. Under no circumstances should the American government have that kind of power.
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