Editor’s note: In this two-part series, we’ll look at the weighty topic of the dark side of artificial intelligence (AI) through the lens of a fanciful metaphor involving J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy, Lord of the Rings. Part One focuses on the dangers that can result when advanced AI technology falls into the wrong hands, or is centralized among the elite. Part Two will outline actual and potential solutions to these threats. For those of you unfamiliar with Tolkien’s masterpiece, here’s the backstory to the metaphorical tale we are about to unleash on you.

In the grand saga of technological evolution, the future of artificial intelligence (AI) stands as the One Ring of our age—a creation of immense potential and peril. Like the fabled Ring of Power in Tolkien’s trilogy, AI, when used ethically, is capable of ushering in an era of tremendous prosperity for all. Its brilliance will soon have the power to transform industries, greatly assist the advancement of healthcare, and help solve challenging environmental problems. 

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Perhaps most exciting of all, AI can accelerate and enrich human knowledge and creativity. 

There’s no doubt that the benevolent use of AI can be one of the keys to unlocking a golden age of harmony and progress.

Yet, just as the One Ring possessed a darker side, so too does artificial intelligence. In the hands of bad actors—be they rogue nations, criminal syndicates, or corrupt individuals—AI can become a powerful weapon of destruction. Imagine how AI could be used to orchestrate cyberattacks that paralyze entire economies or to propagate misinformation with such subtlety that truth becomes a ghost.

Picture AI-driven surveillance eroding privacy and freedom, or autonomous weapons turning battlefields into nightmares of unprecedented scale. 

These dangers are not imaginary; such developments are already being set in motion. They unfold within the overarching AI threat, known as AI or technology singularity. This is a hypothetical future point where AI surpasses human intelligence and becomes difficult or impossible to control.

The subtle danger within this larger context is that state-sponsored oversight agencies with their own political agendas have enough power to steer the rulemaking regarding advanced AI—and by extension, its control. 

A key question comes into play here: Who’s going to watch the self-appointed watchers?

The answer is that we must rely on our free enterprise system as a competitive check against such forces. Ongoing free and open dialogue regarding how to regulate AI is a start. More on that later. But first, let’s take a closer look at the threats posed by AI and how to counteract them.

What are the threats associated with AI?

The tale of the One Ring teaches us that power, no matter how ingeniously crafted, is perilous when wielded without wisdom and virtue. The same holds true for AI. To harness its promise while averting its peril, we must navigate this road with foresight and integrity. 

Humanity’squest is to forge a path where AI’s boundless capabilities are directed by ethical principles while being safeguarded against misuse.

As we stand at this crossroads, the choices we make will determine whether AI becomes a beacon of hope or a harbinger of doom. The future of Planet Earth hangs in the balance. 

Unfortunately, this is not an overstatement, as the threat of AI being misused by sinister elements of the dark side (to borrow another metaphorical phrase) is real.

Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for the good of all is a quest fraught with dangers and pitfalls, much like those faced by the Fellowship’s journey to destroy the One Ring. The stakes are high, but with a clear roadmap and steadfast resolve, we can safeguard AI’s promise while averting its potential for devastation.

The Dark Lords: rogue nations and authoritarian regimes

Rogue nations and authoritarian regimes stand as the Dark Lords of our era. These entities, driven by a lust for power and control, seek to exploit AI to suppress dissent, monitor their populations, and wage cyber warfare. 

Like Sauron, they use fear and manipulation to maintain their grip on power. 

An example is the deployment of AI-powered surveillance systems to monitor and control citizens, as seen in some parts of the world, such as in China, where mass surveillance is employed to stifle freedom and democracy. 

The orc armies: criminal syndicates and hackers

Just as Sauron’s armies of orcs spread destruction across Middle-earth, criminal syndicates and hackers exploit AI for malicious purposes. These digital marauders deploy AI to launch sophisticated cyberattacks, create deepfakes to deceive and defraud, and manipulate financial markets.

The notorious WannaCry ransomware attack, which affected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide, is a mere glimpse into the chaos these forces can unleash. 

“Malicious actors targeting AI systems may use attack vectors unique to AI systems, as well as standard techniques used against traditional IT,” a recent “Five Eyes” advisory warned. “Due to the large variety of attack vectors, defenses need to be diverse and comprehensive. Advanced malicious actors often combine multiple vectors to execute operations that are more complex. Such combinations can more effectively penetrate layered defenses,” the advisory concluded.

Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. These nations collaborate on security matters to benefit mutual defense and counterintelligence efforts. In September 2020, they entered into an agreement to strengthen their cooperation in cybersecurity.

Persistent cyber espionage by China and Russia

Chinese state-sponsored hackers, such as APT 41, have conducted extensive cyber espionage campaigns, including Operation CuckooBees, which targeted multinational companies to steal intellectual property related to AI and other critical technologies. This indicates ongoing vulnerabilities in Western cyber defenses against sophisticated state-backed groups.

Nation-state actors also are becoming more adept at using AI to create more sophisticated phishing attacks and improve the effectiveness of malware. This makes it harder for traditional cybersecurity measures to defend against these threats​.

High-profile incidents such as the following underscore how serious the threat is:

• The indictment of five Chinese military hackers for economic espionage against US corporations involved in nuclear power, metals, and solar products.​
  
• The infiltration of NASA networks by Chinese hackers, who exfiltrated sensitive information about aerospace technologies​.

The Nazgûl: companies with unchecked power

In the Lord of the Rings saga, the Ringwraiths, or Nazgûl, were once powerful kings. Corrupted by their lust for power, they now were serving Sauron’s will. 

In our modern tale, corporations with great power can become the Nazgûl, for example by wielding profit-driven AI-driven algorithms that suppress honest and open debate under the guise of “fact checking.” 

These entities prioritize market control and/or narratives and ideologies that align with their worldviews over privacy, fairness, and societal well-being. Invasive surveillance and the erosion of public trust are the end products of these compromises with integrity.

This is not some future hypothetical, for it has been happening for some time. It’s no accident that the terms “deplatforming” and “shadow banning” have become common in the social media lexicon.   

Deplatforming refers to the practice of condemning and removing individuals and organizations from social media who are deemed unfit by the social media company to express their views or disseminate their content. It involves banning or suspending users’ accounts, thereby removing their ability to post content and interact with the platform’s community. 

Shadow banning is similar but less obvious. This technique involves subtly reducing the visibility of certain content without notifying the user, making it less likely to be seen or shared widely. 

Solutions to powerful entities misusing AI include Implementing strict regulations, transparency mandates, and ethical guidelines that ensure that corporations (and governments too) use AI responsibly and for the public good.

The Balrog: autonomous weapons

The Balrog, a creature of ancient malice and destruction, parallels the terrifying potential of autonomous weapons. These AI-driven instruments of war, if left unchecked, could wreak unprecedented havoc, much like the Balrog’s fiery wrath. Autonomous drones and robotic soldiers capable of making life-and-death decisions without human intervention pose ethical and existential threats. 

International treaties, akin to those controlling the spread of nuclear weapons, must be established to ban and/or regulate the development and deployment of autonomous weapon systems.

The Mouth of Sauron: disinformation and propaganda

In Tolkien’s epic tale, the Mouth of Sauron spreads lies and disinformation to demoralize and deceive. In our present-day world, AI can be weaponized to create and disseminate propaganda and deepfakes, manipulate public opinion, and undermine democratic processes.

However, it’s important to recognize that one person’s (or one media company’s) “truth” can be another’s “disinformation.” The only way to separate the real from the unreal behind such labeling is by free and open competition in the marketplace of ideas, rather than censoring views we disagree with, or worse, consider dangerous.

If a view is truly dangerous, it should be rebutted with factual evidence to the contrary—and the more complete and compelling the evidence, the better.

The One Ring: unchecked AI power

At the heart of these dark forces lies the One Ring itself—unchecked AI power. 

When AI development prioritizes power and control over ethical considerations, it becomes a tool of domination rather than liberation. It’s critical to make sure that AI is developed with a focus on universally accepted values, transparency, and accountability. 

This requires a global commitment to ethical AI principles, similar to the Fellowship’s unwavering dedication to destroying the One Ring. 

The encouraging news is there is an upward path we can follow to successfully navigate the dangers of advanced AI.

We’ll explore this higher road in Part Two of this series.

NOTE: The precious object at the heart of the battle between light and darkness in Tolkien’s tale is the One Ring, also known as the Ring of Power. Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, the One Ring has the power to control all other Rings of Power and dominate Middle-earth. 

Its corrupting influence and immense power make it the central focus of the struggle between the forces of good (the Fellowship) led by characters like Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, and Aragorn, and the forces of evil, led by Sauron and his servants. 

The quest to destroy the One Ring and prevent Sauron from reclaiming it drives the narrative of the trilogy.

Here’s how Tolkien describes the epic ring-drama outplaying in Middle-earth:

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.