UK, US and Canada to collaborate on cybersecurity and AI research

The US, UK and Canada have agreed to partner on AI and cybersecurity research projects to support defence and security.

The Ministry of Defence, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Canadian Department of National Defence will research, develop, test and evaluate technologies for AI and information domain-related technologies focusing on real world challenges.

Areas for collaborative research include defining and creating trustworthy AI systems, which will continue to work even when faced with hostile attacks, producing tools and techniques that result in more resilient and secure systems, such as rapid certification of software and human-AI teaming for uses including military medical triage.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) will be the lead agency for the UK. Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) will be the lead organisation on behalf of Canada.

The UK government said the need for collaboration has been underlined by the rapid pace of technology development and the future challenges required in a constantly changing geopolitical environment. This effort will further leverage relevant research programmes among all nations and reduce duplication of efforts.

In addition to strengthening international partnerships, the UK government added its goal is to continue reducing technological risks so new capabilities can transition into operational use as quickly as possible.

One research project already underway is the Cyber Agents for Security Testing and Learning Environments (CASTLE) programme, which trains AI to autonomously defend networks against advanced persistent cyber threats.

“Our international research collaborations with both the US and Canada are some of our most vital and enduring partnerships,” said Dr Nick Joad, director science and technology at UK Ministry of Defence. “This agreement cements our collective commitments to advancing emerging cyber security technologies such as cyber security and artificial intelligence to enhance the defence and security of our nations.”