Get Ready for More Havoc
Plane groundings and other disruptions may become more common.
Two days ago, the reporter spoke on a podcast about artificial intelligence with friends Pablo Torre. The journalist mentioned that cyber experts believe AI systems and their wide diffusion, combined with the shaky state of software, might lead to unpredictable chaos. The reporter predicted that there would be issues disrupting daily lives, but being ready for such chaos was a different skill altogether.
The reporter learned that all domestic flights in the United States were grounded the night they spoke, a fact that showed predicting chaos and preparing for it were distinct skills. The Transportation Secretary attributed the grounding to a communication issue, but the FAA's recent implementation of AI-enhanced air-traffic management might be to blame.
Although the FAA denies any fault, the grounding happened simultaneously with Microsoft Outlook's recent outage. Experts agree that such chaos is likely to continue due to two factors. First, anyone can become a cyber threat, as AI technology may be accessible to malicious individuals who lack incentives to deter them. Second, the best defense against such chaos might be to cut off systems when vulnerabilities are too hard to patch, which has been increasingly common.
The reporter advised that while individuals could take precautions like updating software and using strong authentication methods, the best strategy was to prepare for frequent disruptions.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
