Artificial intelligence threatens North Dakota security

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Artificial intelligence is now considered one of the top threats to North Dakota’s security.

At the capital Tuesday, the Emergency Response Services Committee reviewed a new report outlining potential security threats to North Dakota from foreign adversaries.

Some of the highlighted threats include foreign land ownership, sensitive research partnerships and cyber-attacks.

Lawmakers voiced frustration that our state has often responded to threats after the fact instead of addressing them proactively.

A director from Homeland Security and Emergency Management agreed with those concerns.

“Sadly, I think it’s going to get worse. When we look at these AI tools that our adversaries have access to those tools are incredibly efficient at finding a crack to get into that system, but then they’re also really good at finding the next crack within the systems so they can spread and it doesn’t take a computer genius to do it. It takes somebody with access to that AI tool,” said Darin Hanson who works for the Homeland Security and Emergency Management division.

Hanson went on to say the U.S. is in a nonstop race where countries are rapidly expanding their cyber capabilities to outpace one another.