The Real AI Threat?

Thu Dec 10 13:31:10 UTC 2020

> Put them together, and the nightmare scenario is:
> - machine learning algorithm detects need for more resources
All good so far

> - machine learning algorithm makes use of vulnerability analysis library 
> to find other systems with resources to spare, and starts attaching
> those resources

Right so a company would built, trained and fine-tuned an AI, or would have bought such a product and implemented it as part of its NMS/DDoS mitigation suite, to do the above? 

What is the probability of anyone thinking that to be a good idea?

To me that does sound like an AI based virus rather than a tool one would want to develop or buy from a third party and then integrate into the day to day operations.

You can’t take for instance alpha-0 or GPT-3 and make it do the above. You’d have to train it to do so over millions of examples and trials. 

Oh and also these won’t “wake up” one day and “think” to themselves oh I’m fed up with Atari games I’m going to learn myself some chess and then do some reading on wiki about the chess rules. 

adam

From: NANOG <nanog-bounces+adamv0025=netconsultings.com at nanog.org> On Behalf Of Miles Fidelman
Sent: Wednesday, December 9, 2020 7:07 PM
To: NANOG <nanog at nanog.org>
Subject: The Real AI Threat?

Hi Folks,

It occurs to me that network & systems admins are the the folks who really have to worry about AI threats.

After watching yet another AI takes over the world show - you know, the 
same general theme, AI wipes out humans to preserve its existence - it 
occurred to me:

Perhaps the real AI threat is "self-healing systems" gone wild. Consider:

- automated system management
- automated load management
- automated resource management - spin up more instances of <whatever> 
as necessary
- automated threat detection & response
- automated vulnerability analysis & response

Put them together, and the nightmare scenario is:
- machine learning algorithm detects need for more resources
- machine learning algorithm makes use of vulnerability analysis library 
to find other systems with resources to spare, and starts attaching 
those resources
- unbounded demand for more resources

Kind of what spambots have done to the global email system.

"For Homo Sapiens, the telephone bell had tolled."
(Dial F for Frankenstein, Arthur C. Clarke)

I think I need to start putting whisky in my morning coffee.  And maybe not thinking 
about NOT replacing third shift with AI tools.

Miles Fidelman
-- 
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.  .... Yogi Berra

Theory is when you know everything but nothing works. 
Practice is when everything works but no one knows why. 
In our lab, theory and practice are combined: 
nothing works and no one knows why.  ... unknown
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