Police gearing up to combat AI-based crime

KUALA LUMPUR: Staying ahead of the game is vital to law enforcement efforts to curb the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI).

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said as part of their efforts to gear up to combat AI-based crime, it is important for his personnel to know what they are potentially up against.

“With AI, the enemy that we are facing is invisible, which makes policing efforts more complex.

“As such, we are sending our officers from time to time for training and international exposure with other law enforcement agencies across the globe.

“We are always looking for appropriate courses to enhance their knowledge and skills,” he told The Star recently.

He said they are working closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the matter.

“Locally, we are also working together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia and Commission and relevant government ministries on ways to synergise resources in tackling AI-related crime in future.

“We always need to keep ourselves abreast with the latest developments in technology. The situation is such that technology is ever evolving and when changes occur, crime syndicates also evolve their modus operandi.

“We need to ensure we are one step ahead of them so that the use of AI by syndicates does not get out of hand,” he said.

Comm Ramli said aside from training law enforcement personnel, the public also needs to be fully aware of the danger and potential risks of AI if they want to avoid falling prey to these syndicates.

“Other countries are already grappling with deepfakes and dark web creations of voices and videos that mimic people in real life.

“If people are aware of such things, it could help prevent them from becoming the latest victim,” he said.