U.S. and Japan Join Forces for Cyber Defense Against AI Threats

The U.S. and Japan are working together to research how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in cyberattacks. This partnership comes as AI translation technology improves, making it easier for cyberattacks to spread across language barriers.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), the Japanese Information and Communication Research Organization (NICT) will team up with MITRE, a U.S.-based research group. They aim to improve defenses against cyberattacks powered by AI.

Why the Collaboration Matters

Currently, U.S. cyber defense efforts mostly focus on attacks in English. But there is not much data on attacks in other languages. As AI translation tools get better, attacks that have targeted non-English-speaking countries may start to reach English-speaking nations like the U.S.

The U.S. chose Japan as a partner for this research because of the increasing number of cyberattacks coming from Asia. The U.S. is especially cautious about attacks from China and hopes to use Japan’s data on non-English cyberattacks to strengthen its defenses.

The Growing Threat of AI-Powered Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks using AI are becoming more common. According to the Israeli security company Checkpoint, the number of cyberattacks on companies worldwide increased by 75% in the third quarter of last year.

In Japan, AI is being used for cybercrimes, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and ransomware. DDoS attacks use AI to control many servers and shut down services.

Ransomware attacks use AI to find weaknesses in security. The rise of deepfake technology, which creates fake videos and audio to trick security systems, is also a growing concern.

Japan’s AI Security Concerns

A survey by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed that less than 20% of Japanese companies actively use AI, compared to 46% in the U.S. and 71% in China.

Additionally, 70% of Japanese companies said that AI increased security risks, while in the U.S. and China, the number was over 80%.

To address these concerns, Japan plans to release guidelines this year to help companies defend against AI-driven cyberattacks. The country also plans to create a special unit to focus on AI-related security issues.