‘Not Just Defence of Borders...’: Jaishankar Highlights Security Risks In Era of AI and Deepfakes

Warning against the risks presented by new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfakes, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that these advancements pose a significant threat to India’s national security.

“When we think of security, it is not just the defence of the borders, it is not countering terrorism alone…. But there is the daily routine which is so susceptible today to manipulation and this is growing,” Jaishankar said during an interactive session at Delhi-based think-tank Ananta Aspen Centre.

“Today foreign interference in this country is growing. It is important for the average person to understand how the world is changing because it is an era of AI and deepfakes,” he said. The minister was asked if the threats to ordinary Indians have increased in the age of the surveillance state. “It is not a question of being paranoid. I mean, there are real problems out there. It is not again a question of surveillance. There is a certain responsibility that the state has. Let us not confuse anarchy and irresponsibility with freedom,” he said.

On China

Speaking on the China challenge, the external affairs minister underlined the need for India to build deep national strength, including in areas of technology and supply chains to effectively face challenges from the neighbouring country. “It is a combination of all of this but the bottom line is there has to be an equilibrium and there has to be peace and tranquillity in the border areas and there has to be adherence to the agreements which were arrived at,” Jaishankar said.

“Because if you do not adhere to the agreements, tell me how you would have even the basic understanding and going forward, if there isn’t peace and tranquillity at the border, how can any society look at other forms of cooperation when the border is disturbed or violent,” he said. “And there has to eventually be an equilibrium, I am convinced it will. I am convinced we have to work hard for that equilibrium,” he said. Jaishankar said the Modi government has significantly enhanced the border infrastructure in the last 10 years. “On the China border areas, our budgetary commitment till 2014 was below Rs 4000 crore. Today it is three-and-half, four times of that,” he said, adding there is a rapid increase in the building of roads, tunnels and bridges in the frontier regions.

“If it was possible to do it in the last 10 years, why was it not possible to do it earlier,” he said. The external affairs minister also cited how India is now giving competition to China in areas of technology and cited development of 5G telecom services as an example. “We talk about their exporting staff into India. Obviously, they will try their best. The answer is to compete. We did not compete against 4G, we did not compete against 3G, we did not compete against 2G. But you decided to compete on 5G. When you decided to compete on 5G, you proved to yourself you could do it,” he said.

(With agency inputs)