Philippines Bans Military From Using AI Apps

Facts

The Philippines has ordered its military to avoid using digital apps that use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate digital portraits, warning they could pose 'significant privacy and security risks.'¹
According to an Oct. 14 memo confirmed on Friday, the Philippine defense chief said AI image generators are dangerous because they compile users' data and create a 'digital person that mimics how a real individual speaks and moves.'²
The Philippines' defense personnel and the 163K-member military have explicitly warned against using apps requiring users to upload at least 10 pictures and 'practice vigilance in sharing information online.'³
Furthermore, the memo cautioned that the 'seemingly harmless and amusing' AI-powered apps can be used to create fake profiles that can lead to malicious activities, including 'identity theft, social engineering, [and] phishing attacks.'⁴
The ban comes amid the Philippines' attempts to address decades-old communist and Muslim uprisings in the country and defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea.⁵

Narrative A, as provided by GMA News Online. The Philippines is among many nations that believe AI is an emerging technology that poses a pressing global challenge. It's right to emphasize the need for a conversation to establish rules and institutions to govern the responsible use of AI. On a broader scale, it wants the UN to create a legally binding instrument prohibiting lethal autonomous weapons systems.
Narrative B, as provided by Washington Post. AI is a catch-all for everything, from relatively uncontroversial technology like autocomplete to crime-predicting software. Our fears about the latter, underlined by Hollywood's apocalyptic portrayals of the technology, might be overwhelming our beliefs. Inevitably, AI will seep into almost every sphere of life. It would be better to keep pace with it than play catch-up.