CAG expresses concern about security, integrity of data due to AI malware- QHN

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has expressed concern about the security and integrity of data as it can be manipulated by AI-generated malware.

In a press release issued today, the CAG said that it has been following the developments in artificial intelligence (AI) closely and is concerned about the potential risks associated with the use of AI, such as the manipulation of data by AI-generated malware.

“CAG of India is the Chair of SAI20, the G20 engagement group for Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI). During India’s presidency of SAI20, CAG had chosen Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) as one of the focus areas. A seminar on Responsible AI was organised at CAG headquarters to acquaint the senior officials with challenges and opportunities presented by AI in February 2023. Extensive discussions on Responsible Al were held as part of the Senior Officers Meeting of SA120 at Guwahati in May 2023 and at the SAI Summit in Goa in June 2023. The discussions emphasized the importance of international collaboration, capacity building and consultation with various stakeholders to derive optimum benefits from Al,” read the CAG release.

“As a follow-up of the SA120 deliberations, a panel discussion on Responsible Artificial Intelligence was held today at the CAG office. The Panel discussion demonstrated CAG’s commitment to fulfilling the SA120 Commitment to raise awareness on the issues and concerns relating to responsible Al, to engage with stakeholders, to identify mechanisms to integrate Al in the CAG institution and to initiate the process for auditing through Al and the audit of Al.” further read the release.

CAG of India G C Murmu, while inaugurating the event, highlighted the opportunities and challenges posed by AI.

G C Murmu laid down the roadmap for panel discussion by raising several important questions to ponder – how can audit equip itself to test whether AI is responsible or not; can criterion or framework be laid out to test AI tools used by govt; how can audit help government in deriving assurance about interpretability and fairness of such AI systems. He also expressed concerns about the security and integrity of data based on which an audit is conducted since the data can be manipulated by AI-generated malware.

Earlier, Parveen Mehta, Deputy CAG of India, in her welcome address, emphasized that it is the collective duty of CAG of India and other government bodies to ensure that AI is developed, deployed, and used in a responsible and ethical manner. She also elaborated on the importance of the Compendium on AI, shared with the delegates, in auditing in a relatively unchartered domain.

During the panel discussion, speakers from diverse backgrounds spoke on different facets of responsible AI.

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MEITY, and CEO, NeGD/Digital India painted a wide canvas of activities undertaken by the Government for the rapid deployment of AI. He also spoke on how Responsible AI can be implemented in the Indian context taking into account the regional disparity.

Alok Lall, National Security Officer from Microsoft India, talked about the challenges of “AI and Cybersecurity”. He mentioned that AI should never be a pilot but can only be a co-pilot. He also talked about Microsoft six principles for Responsible AI.

Ganesh Ramamoorthy, Managing Vice President Gartner spoke on identifying apt AI solutions to solve enterprise-level challenges using a combination of Open source and proprietary tools. He remarked that with innumerable number of AI-driven tools available now, choosing the right tool to ensure security, sustainability and cost-effectiveness has gained importance. Shri Parag Singla, Professor IITD delved on the synergy between research and deployment of AI for the greater public good. He talked about Generative AI and also discussed few Gen AI use cases on which IIT Delhi is working.

Anand Mohan Bajaj, Additional Deputy CAG and Chief Technology Officer of IAAD moderated the panel discussion. While summing up, he highlighted that the panellists covered wide areas around responsible AI, such as current research and development, the use of AI in governance and improving public service delivery, current market scenarios and the journey that an organisation like SAI India can take now and in future.

Anand Mohan Bajaj, further mentioned that it becomes clear that the use of AI in audits will supplement the domain expertise of our auditors and enhance the quality and effectiveness of audits.