Existing practice and risks of malicious use of artificial intelligence in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The necessity of the development of advanced technologies is considering as the essential condition for the ensuring of the world leadership in the contemporary world. But the rapid growth of such technologies and their implementation into all spheres of our life increase the risk of their malicious use in the future. African countries are no exception in this regard. They regularly become victims of cyber-attacks, which every year become more and more high-tech. There has been undertaken in the article the analysis of the existing practice and risks of malicious use of advanced technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The author notes that today the banking sector is most exposed to cyber-attacks. But advanced technologies are gradually beginning to be used also for the mind management and creating the public opinion convenient for perpetrators who are aimed on the increase of social tension in certain countries or the entire regions. Undoubtedly even the possibility of such attacks poses a very serious threat to international information and psychological security. Finally, the author comes to the conclusion that African countries should develop effective supranational instruments aimed at improving their information security and preventing further malicious use of advanced technologies. Until this happens, it seems unlikely that African countries will even come close to solving the problem of ensuring their information security. So their information space will continue to be subjected to large-scale cyber-attacks that pose a serious threat not only to the security of individuals, but also to the entire national security system of the state.