Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles (front L) and Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro (front R) attend a press conference after witnessing the joint exercise between Australian and Philippine troops at a naval base in San Antonio town, Zambales province on August 25, 2023. Teodoro has ordered Filipino military personnel to cease using artificial intelligence apps as they pose a security risk for the Philippines.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has ordered all Filipino military and civilian defense personnel in a department-wide memorandum dated October 14 to avoid or cease using digital applications harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to generate personal portraits, citing cybersecurity risks and breaches to the department's values and policies.
The Philippine Department of National Defense confirmed the authenticity of the memo on Friday (October 20) after days of being circulated to Filipino defense enthusiasts and the general public, the Associated Press reported. However, defense officials did not provide other details, including Teodoro's intention to issue the ban.
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PH Defense Officials Claim AI Apps Are Cybersecurity Risks
Local media reported that Teodoro specifically warned against the use of a digital app requiring users to submit at least 10 pictures of themselves and then harness AI to create "a digital person that mimics how a real individual speaks and moves," saying that such apps posed "significant privacy and security risks."
"This seemingly harmless and amusing AI-powered application can be maliciously used to create fake profiles that can lead to identity theft, social engineering, phishing attacks, and other malicious activities," Teodoro added. "There has already been a report of such a case."
A Defense staffer told CNN's Philippine bureau that the memo served as a reiteration of an existing department policy on the use of social media to practice caution in sharing data online.
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