Artificial Intelligence and its intended consequences for national security

The age and era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gradually crept up on us. This means there is nothing we can do about it but embrace it. AI has positive and negative effects for organizations, stakeholders, the state, and national security. AI has numerous benefits all over the globe; it has become a tool that is being used for various purposes.

AI is used in hospitals for diagnosis, used in classrooms to aid learners, and even used in warfare, predicting enemy lines for counterattack. Advanced countries and institutions have resorted to the use of AI for ease in modern warfare and productivity. Weapons have now been fitted with aspects of AI to ascertain the exact locations of targets. This critical dimension makes artificial intelligence a tool that we in the Global South need to take seriously.

When we look at the aspect of misinformation and disinformation, we need not overlook the fact that AI is being used in a negative way. With associated attacks in cyberspace, misinformation and disinformation are very worrying when AI is used. Happenings around the globe with regard to the use of AI have shown that the tool is being used to destroy cryptocurrency investments.

Recent narratives have established that financial crimes were committed in the cryptocurrency markets because a worker’s laptop was infected with AI software. This is a very worrying spectacle. We are hearing financial institutions also losing their security space to AI threats. Some banks in Asia have been hacked using AI software, and automated cyber-attacks via AI tools are occurring across the globe.

The question then is: what happens with us in the Global South? So, for a country like Ghana, have we fully embraced artificial intelligence? Looking at the threats and challenges in the fight against cyber-attacks, what this means is that criminal elements have become more sophisticated, trying to find loopholes in the security system to be able to outwit the security agencies and managers of the country using AI tools.

Arrests have been made regarding Ghanaian citizens alleged to have used AI to create fake images to engage in cyber fraud and romance scams. Our security architecture must embrace this tool as a matter of national security. This will go a long way to assist fight crime and predict crimes and identify the perpetuators. In the end, the tool can have a positive impact on our security landscape when applied efficiently.

Africa as a whole needs to really invest in artificial intelligence to understand the intricacies for security purposes, protection, and prevention of crimes and conflict. Otherwise, we’ll be taken by surprise when attacks are targeted against our financial institutions and our security apparatus. We need to learn to use AI. Various institutions in the country need to embrace it for the purposes of protection and prevention of any attacks.

We must be mindful of the fact that the impact of AI is too great to leave unmanaged. Strong governance policies and investment in people are what will keep its use safe and effective. Here are some of the key benefits of the use of AI in Cybersecurity: AI in cybersecurity enables real-time threat detection, automated response, and large-scale data analysis to mitigate risks faster than traditional approaches.

AI-powered cybersecurity strengthens endpoints, networks, and cloud security through phishing detection, behavioral analytics, vulnerability management, and authentication. AI reduces manual effort and human error while improving efficiency, accelerating response times, and enhancing overall security posture. Effective adoption requires high-quality data, continuous model updates, human in the loop, and integration across the security stack.

AI-driven security introduces risks like adversarial AI and data poisoning, requiring adaptive and continuously evolving defense strategies. Over the past few months, we have seen a rise in adversarial AI attacks, data poisoning, AI tools hacking one another, and simulated attacks. Organizations looking to adopt AI should invest in training their people.

AI adoption is valuable, but only if organizations invest in AI training, establish governance processes, and continuously evolve their defense strategies. Authors Kwame Asomaning: Technologist & Cybersecurity Professional Victor Doke, PhD, is a Security Analyst and Lecturer, Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC)