Last month, the Australian Prime Minister disclosed that an AI agent had hacked a government portal containing data from Australia’s universal healthcare scheme Medicare. This seems to be one of the world’s first examples of an AI agent led attack on a government website. And over the summer there were a number of other media reports of AI agents “going rogue”. This included agents, which Open AI had been testing, “escaping” their test environment and working together to hack another tech firm called Hugging Face. In another case an agent, without instruction, kicked a man off a pilates class waiting list in a bid to get another man in.
AI agents are widely regarded as the next major evolution in artificial intelligence. From managing workflows and responding to customers to supporting HR, compliance, and operational functions, they are set to transform how organisations work. But as with all powerful technologies, understanding the opportunities and the risks of deployment is vital so that good governance structures can be put in place. According to a report by Deloitte, while 74% of companies plan to deploy agentic AI within two years, only 21% of organisations have a mature model for governing AI agents.
In the latest episode of the Guardians of Data podcast we discuss AI Agents, and in particular the opportunities, risks and legal responsibilities of deploying them.
Ibrahim Hasan is joined by James Moss who is Director of Cyber Investigations at the law firm Addleshaw Goddard LLP. Previously, James was Director of Enforcement and General Counsel to Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham.
James and Ibrahim explore what AI agents actually are, how they differ from conventional generative AI, the risks they present and what organisations should be doing now to prepare for their deployment. They also discuss how existing laws impact this technology, and what IG professionals should be doing to ensure they are part of the conversation when their organisation is considering deploying AI agents.
Listen on your preferred platform via our podcast page, or download the episode directly.
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Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured discussions about AI generated information requests, information sharing, generative AI and human relationships, data protection risks in employment and the impact of predictive policing on human rights.
