Microsoft reveals AI that lives away from the internet for spies and top-secret info: ‘It is now deployed, it’s live, it’s answering questions, it will write code’

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses Microsoft's deployment of a generative AI model that is completely isolated from the internet, allowing U.S. intelligence agencies to safely use the powerful technology to analyze top-secret information.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Microsoft's Isolated Generative AI Model

1. What is unique about Microsoft's generative AI model?

• It is the first time a major large language model has operated fully separated from the internet.
• Most AI models, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, rely on cloud services to learn and infer patterns from data, but Microsoft wanted to deliver a truly secure system to the U.S. intelligence community.

2. How has Microsoft implemented the isolation of the model?

• Microsoft has deployed the GPT4-based model and key supporting elements onto a cloud with an "air-gapped" environment that is isolated from the internet.
• The GPT4 model placed in the cloud is static, meaning it can read files but not learn from them or from the open internet, to keep the model "clean" and prevent secret information from getting absorbed into the platform.

3. Who can access the isolated AI model?

• About 10,000 people would theoretically be able to access the AI, as it is only accessible by the U.S. government.

4. What is the purpose of this isolated AI model for the intelligence community?

• Spy agencies around the world want generative AI to help them understand and analyze the growing amounts of classified information generated daily, but they must balance the risk of data leaking or getting hacked.
• The isolated AI model is intended to provide a secure solution for the intelligence community to utilize the powerful capabilities of generative AI while mitigating the risks.

[02] Adoption of Generative AI in the Intelligence Community

1. What is the current state of generative AI adoption in the intelligence community?

• The CIA has already launched a ChatGPT-like service at unclassified levels, but the intelligence community wanted something capable of dealing with more sensitive data.
• There is a "race to get generative AI onto intelligence data," as the first country to use generative AI for their intelligence would gain a significant advantage.

2. What are the challenges faced by the intelligence community in adopting generative AI?

• Spy agencies must balance the benefits of using generative AI with the risk of data leaking into the open or getting deliberately hacked.
• The isolated AI model developed by Microsoft is intended to address these concerns and provide a secure solution for the intelligence community.

3. What is the current status of Microsoft's isolated AI model deployment?

• The service went live on Thursday and now needs to undergo testing and accreditation by the intelligence community.
• Microsoft has described the endeavor as a "passion project" that took 18 months to develop, including overhauling an existing AI supercomputer in Iowa.