CIA developing AI tool for sorting vast public information: Bloomberg

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Bloomberg
26 Sep 2023 20:41
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Mass gathering of information has lately been the trend among Western countries in order to keep track of civilian activities.

This April 13, 2016, photo, shows the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. (AP)

A report by Bloomberg featuring an interview with a CIA official on Tuesday revealed that the CIA is in the process of creating an artificial intelligence (AI) tool aimed at assisting US intelligence agencies in sorting through vast amounts of publicly available information.

"We have to find the needles in the needle field," Randy Nixon, director of the CIA’s Open-Source Enterprise Division that is developing the tool, said.

Nixon clarified that the Chat-GPT-like tool would enable analysts to access the primary information source, pose additional queries, and assist in organizing and condensing data.

This tool forms part of a wider government initiative aimed at leveraging AI technology to enhance 'competitiveness' against China, as stated by Nixon.

Nixon added that the CIA intends to make the tool accessible for utilization by all 18 US intelligence agencies, which encompass entities like the NSA, FBI, and various military agencies.

Nixon further emphasized that policymakers and the general public would not have access to this tool.

Mass gathering of information has lately been the trend among Western countries in order to keep track of civilian activities and identify actions that may go against Western values or interests.

On September 20, The Intercept published a report detailing similar operations in the UK.

It details how the British law Schedule 7 is being used for purposes exceeding its intended scope - namely, purposes of mass intelligence gathering.

A 2013 document leaked by Edward Snowden revealed the existence of a program known as PHANTOM PARROT which focuses on border stops conducted under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, specifically for the purpose of downloading digital data from individuals.

The document emphasizes the significance of Schedule 7 within PHANTOM PARROT's legal framework, highlighting that data collection is done under sections 7 and 8 of the Terrorism Act 2000, often without informing individuals that their phone data is being accessed.

Data "downloads" referred to in the document involve the utilization of Mobile Device Forensic Tools (MDFTs), enabling the complete extraction of data from mobile phones, including emails, texts, photos, location, and app data, which can then be systematically searched.

According to leaked documents from GCHQ, the UK's largest intelligence agency, the data obtained through Phantom Parrot is integrated into a larger database known as LUCKY STRIKE, which contained over a billion records at the time of the document's publication.

Because of this, many have come to believe that the real purpose behind Schedule 7 is mass intelligence gathering.

As long as this objective remains, observers do not expect Schedule 7 powers to be dismantled.