The STARLIGHT Project Coordinator, Dr. Nizar Touleimat, was one of five panellists at the "Cybersecurity of AI and AI for Cybersecurity" webinar on Friday, July 7, organised in conjunction with CLAIRE.
CLAIRE, the Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe, promotes excellence across all of AI for all of Europe while ensuring a human-centred focus. The CLAIRE webinar took the All Questions Answered (AQuA) format inspired by Donald E. Knuth’s All Questions Answered lecture. The online event aimed to address current AI-related topics focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity by providing a platform for the community to ask questions and engage in meaningful discussions.
As a coordinator of the EU-funded STARLIGHT project as well as leader of the work package focusing on AI-based cybersecurity and protection of LEA AI solutions, Dr. Touleimat represented our ambitious initiative, which aims to address future security threats and anticipate emerging challenges.
As Dr. Touleimat emphasised in the webinar, when it comes to law enforcement, it is crucial to recognise and address two key aspects: the nature of the threats we encounter, and the invaluable role AI can play in combating these emerging challenges.
Bringing Experts Together
The webinar was moderated by Ana Isabel Ayerbe Fernandes, President of RENIC (Spanish Network of Centres of Excellence in Cybersecurity Research) and Director of the DIGITAL CORES Area at TECNALIA. The panellists also included Roberto Cascella, Head of Sector "Technology, Supply Chain, and Strategic Autonomy" at the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO); Marek Pawlicki, an Associate Professor at Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology and AI expert at ITTI, who is also a partner in STARLIGHT; and Thodoris Semertzidis, Research Fellow with CERTH.
An Insightful Facilitation
Throughout the webinar, the panellists addressed various questions and shared their expertise, covering both AI for cybersecurity and the cybersecurity of AI. The topics covered included cyberattacks leveraging AI, applications of AI in cybersecurity, the impact of recent AI advancements on cybersecurity, and the future of AI in cybersecurity. They also discussed the potential impact of quantum technologies on AI and cybersecurity, the challenges and best practises in making AI more secure, and the ethical, legal, and societal issues arising from the convergence of AI and cybersecurity.
Audience Participation and Questions
The audience actively participated in the discussion, posing questions on the detection of cyberattacks using AI, improving cybersecurity awareness through AI, and the need for collaboration between AI and cybersecurity communities.
The CLAIRE AQuA webinar provided valuable insights into the complex relationship between AI and cybersecurity, fostering knowledge exchange and facilitating a better understanding of these crucial domains. The recorded session can be accessed on the CLAIRE YouTube channel.
Collaboration and Challenges in AI and Cybersecurity
As the field of AI continues to advance and cybersecurity threats evolve, forums like CLAIRE AquA play a vital role in promoting collaboration, sharing expertise, and addressing the challenges posed by the intersection of AI and cybersecurity. STARLIGHT dedicates one work package, led by CEA, to ‘AI-based cybersecurity and protection of LEA AI solutions.
The event highlighted the importance of continuous dialogue and collaboration to develop solutions and address the emerging challenges and opportunities in AI and cybersecurity, in which STARLIGHT can play an important role.
When facing a question on the cultural challenges to overcome for AI in cybersecurity, Dr. Touleimat highlighted "the importance of collaboration with smaller cybersecurity-related communities. We must consider how to protect the solutions we develop, which is why we actively strive to bring together individuals from different communities to work together".