MI5 chief warns AI could aid terrorists in bioweapon access

Artificial intelligence poses a significant risk of enabling terrorists to access bioweapons or generate novel pathogens if its development is not adequately controlled, the Director General of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, stated on Tuesday. Speaking at Thames House, the headquarters of the Security Service in London, Sir Ken outlined his annual assessment of threats facing the United Kingdom.

New Centre to Assess AI Risks

Sir Ken announced the creation of a new AI Threat Assessment Centre, a joint initiative involving MI5, the National Crime Agency, and the National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of GCHQ. This centre will focus on evaluating the potential dangers associated with the rapid advancement of AI technologies. He noted that AI is already intensifying the cybersecurity challenges between attackers and defenders, capable of producing propaganda and radicalising content tailored to individuals. "We’ve caught terrorists seeking to exploit AI to improve their reconnaissance and attack methodologies, with AI-enabled drones adding a new twist," Sir Ken said.

The MI5 chief highlighted the potential misuse of AI in relation to biological threats. "Not yet realised, but the misuse case to which I’d attach greatest weight, is AI’s potential to change the stakes on existing or even new bioweapons," he stated. He elaborated that while achieving capabilities around chemical, biological, or radiological weaponry has historically been difficult for terrorist groups, AI could lower this barrier. One significant risk is that AI might facilitate the dissemination of dangerous knowledge to individuals or groups who should not possess it. A separate concern is the possibility that AI could generate entirely new pathogens.

Beyond the deliberate misuse by human adversaries, Sir Ken also addressed the potential risks posed by AI itself, referring to the 'alignment problem'. This refers to the challenge of dealing with an intelligence that surpasses human capabilities. "This is genuinely novel. And deserves the serious attention it is getting, including in MI5," he commented.

Societal Resilience and Hostile States

Sir Ken also called on the British public to play an active role in national security and resilience, urging people to consider local impacts such as power grid disruptions or online manipulation. He identified community cohesion as a critical national security front line, with hostile actors actively seeking to divide British society. "Authoritarian regimes invest heavily in trying to distort and divide our society, weaponising whatever frictions they notice," he said. MI5 will also contribute to a government review of security arrangements for political figures.