The
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
organized a workshop on the ITU Workshop on Generative AI: Challenges and Opportunities for Security and Privacy at the ITU Headquarters (Room H, Montbrillant building) in Geneva, Switzerland on
19 February 2024. Remote participation was provided for the Workshop.
Generative AI produces content across various formats, including text, images, sounds, animation, 3D models, and more, in response to user prompts. Such versatility presents a dual impact on security by offering promising opportunities while also introducing unique challenges that require careful attention. On one hand, Generative AI has the potential to enhance security capabilities; however, it also empowers attackers by enhancing their scalability and sophistication as well as lowering the entry barrier for hackers. Key security risks include hallucination, deep fake and copyright infringement. Additionally, generative AI poses threats to data privacy, including data breaches, inadequate anonymization, unauthorized data sharing, biases, lack of consent and transparency, and inadequate data retention. Comprehensive security and privacy measures are essential to address these concerns effectively.
Objectives
The objectives of the workshop included:
- Identifying and providing a comprehensive overview of the benefits as well as the security and privacy concerns associated with generative AI-based applications;
- Identifying technical and organizational security and privacy controls to mitigate the identified threats;
- Facilitating the exchange of current activities within relevant SDOs and other organizations on addressing security and privacy for generative AI-based applications; and
- Identify potential ways forward for future work in ITU-T Study Group 17 in this area.
Target audience
Participation in the Workshop was open to ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates and Academic Institutions and to any individual from a country that is a member of ITU who wishes to contribute to the work. Participation was free of charge and open to all. No fellowships were granted for the Workshop.
