When asked how the FBI is thinking about building the next-generation workforce, a top official within the intelligence agency said Tuesday that the FBI is challenged with finding the right talent to detect deepfakes.
“One of the things we’re challenged by … from an FBI organizational perspective – in our role and authorities to detect the threat – how can we detect deepfakes? How do you develop the capability to detect a deepfake,” FBI Section Chief of Next Generation Technology and Lawful Access Kathleen Noyes said during GDIT EMERGE in D.C. on June 4.
“Thinking about the way we’re approaching the talent aspect of that is what is going to help us with that,” she added.
In addition to new recruiting, Noyes said that the FBI is also prioritizing upskilling its current workforce. She highlighted that the agency is focused on building a culture of innovation.
“[We have] an innovation group that’s focused on developing the innovation from within and that’s one part upskilling which is I think a huge part of this,” Noyes continued, “We have to invest in our workforce, we have to give everyone a baseline of knowledge also, and really work on upskilling those folks who know our mission really well to partner with those who really know the technology well, and that’s really where we’re focused.”
Noyes said the FBI is taking a “slow and deliberate approach” to leveraging AI in its own use cases and called on industry to provide more transparency when partnering with the intelligence agency.
“What’s our ask for industry? Well, one of those things is knowing,” Noyes said. “It can’t be a black box. We need some transparency and accountability for knowing when we’re [using] an AI capability or not.”
Noyes said the FBI began its AI journey with an evaluation of its needs and possible use cases for AI.
“We started with this assessment, trying to understand about our organization, what we knew about ourselves, and what we knew about our needs and prioritizing those needs and use cases so that when we take the steps to be pursuing and acquiring [AI tools] … are they attenuated to those priority needs, and are they attenuated to that ethical use,” Noyes said.
Justin Williams, the FBI’s deputy assistant director for the information management division, said that the agency will have to adopt the use of AI to keep up with the nation’s adversaries.
“We’re going to be a player in this space in some capacity. I can’t forecast what it is but many reasons we’re going to have to because … all of our adversaries are using this in some capacity – criminal, national security, cyber,” Williams said. “We have to keep up with that, we just have to make sure we do it ethically [and] responsibly.”
