By Mike Jarrett

Artificial Intelligence is the foundation on which modern information technology was built. As a concept, it stirred to life in the late 1940s, and came to wider attention at the turn of that decade with Alan Turing’s thoughts about machine intelligence and his paper titled “Computing Machinery and Intelligence”, which was published in 1950.

Ideas and concepts generated during this era gave form to centuries-old flights of fantasy in which humanoid machines outdo humans.

The engineering inventions and machines that made the 1914-1918 European World War I unlike any previous armed conflict, ushered in a new era of sophistication in the film industry. With this came the development of Science Fiction (sci-fi) movies featuring manufactured artificial people. By 1930, the first sci-fi movies featuring humanoid robots in violent conflict with humas were being produced, and by the end of the 1960s, the landmark sci-fi movie 2001: A Space Odyssey was being shown in cinema houses in the Caribbean. The film Star Wars was released a decade later in 1977, featuring humanoid robots that were fluent communicators, and within five years after the release of Star Wars, the Japanese had put together a $850 million plan to develop computers that could talk and interpret photographs – a Fifth Generation Computer. Soon after, in 1986, Mercedes-Benz was showing off its driverless vehicle, guided by a battery of sensors and cameras. Computer giant IBM revealed Deep Blue in 1996, a computer that played chess and made history the following year by beating world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a globally televised match played in New York City. Although Kasparov had won the first match against Deep Blue in 1996, the writing was on the wall. As compared to human intelligence, artificial intelligence had proven to be more capable than many at first thought. 

These research milestones through the 20th Century and the various products developed following each stage of progress brought AI-driven technology unobtrusively into everyday domestic and professional life. Indeed, AI, with its capacity to store and analyse large quantities of data instantly has become the driving force behind much of the 21st Century automation which has made human beings more efficient.

Users of today’s smartphones and other personal computing devices have become comfortable in verbally instructing Alexa, Siri or Google Assistance to take on the tedium of logging and retrieving information. AI is used to select radio and television channels, to control devices, and to make telephone calls. AI algorithms have made online shopping faster and easier, and have been effectively used as a first line of defence against those who would misuse Internet-based systems. It is the “brain” behind various security systems, and is a prime tool for access control and other security systems.

In Health Care, AI omnipresent and central to research, analysis and diagnostics. But although AI remains the driver of today’s sophisticated fifth generation computer applications, it has suddenly become a cause for concern, worry and fear. 

A recent headline in the New York Times warns: “AI Poses ‘Risk of Extinction,’ Industry Leaders Warn”. That story by Kevin Roose (published May 30, 2023) speaks to concerns that “… future systems could be as deadly as pandemics and nuclear weapons.” The news story quoted a statement published by the not-for-profit organization Center for AI Safety. The statement, signed by more than 300 leaders working in AI, took the form of a single sentence: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” [https://www.safe.ai/statement-on-ai-risk]

In addressing the concern captured in this single sentence that is as much a warning as a call to action, I wondered about the risks that misuse of AI could pose to Caribbean ports that are central to the survival of national economies across the region. In this regard, I spoke with John Gibson, Owner of PROTECTIFIQ Data Protection and CyberSecurity, a consulting firm specializing in data protection, information and cybersecurity services, and a member of the Board of Directors of Advantum Port Computer Services Ltd. in Kingston, Jamaica. Because of his experience – more than25 years in information technology, and more than 13 years of focus and expertise in information security, including network security, application security, and governance risk and compliance –I was curious about his perspective on possible threats to regional port operations, and his advice to Caribbean port managers and terminal operators.

 Mike Jarrett: John, AI has been around for decades now. We have been using it. It’s not really a strange beast that has suddenly entered our lives. So why is it now a problem?

John Gibson: AI has come to the fore now, largely because of the burst on the scene of things like ChatGPT, and so it’s now more readily available to consumers via these Internet-based, AI-powered engines. But I really do agree with you, it’s been around for a long, long, long time. Many industries have been using it. It has been the backbone behind a lot of robotics. We know there are companies like Honda and Boston Dynamics that have used AI technology to build these humanoids that look and function almost like humans.

I think the only thing those robots don’t have is actual consciousness. I’ve seen some of them recently and they’re carrying out some activities that even the most agile and fittest of humans would have some difficulty undertaking. To see a robot perform those activities is quite amazing.

So, with the ease of availability through a lot of your search engines and things like ChatGPT, AI has come to the fore as the hot-topic item at the moment. Its potential applications and uses are vast. It undoubtedly will have a lasting affecting on our lives.

 Mike Jarrett: What aspects of AI have been used in port operations and do we consider those uses essential?

John Gibson: I think, largely in the autonomous systems; in the mechanics of the port’s operations; in navigation systems; the transport and movement of articles on the port itself – automated container handling. In modern port operations, a lot of that is driven by robotics and autonomous systems. Those autonomous systems utilise AI to help make those decisions. When you see containers or articles being moved around and there is a direction change, that direction change could be as a result of an artificial intelligence system looking on and deciding that if the current path is utilized, there could be a collision, so it chooses another path to move this article around – smart port traffic management. AI-enabled systems can monitor port machinery and based on data collection and analysis, make decisions on when equipment is likely to fail and therefore initiate maintenance –

 predictive maintenance. Cargo and container tracking systems can monitor and track the location and status of cargo in real time. This enhances supply chain management.

 Mike Jarrett: That’s in the cargo area. What about in administration and management, do our ports use AI there at all?

John Gibson: In administration and management, AI would be limited to whatever intelligence is built into the IT systems that are used in running the administrative side of the port. As far as the applications and services that are utilized to make decisions by themselves, or have input into decisions, then AI will come into play there. That would have been the situation up to recently. I think today you’ll find that AI will become a much more integral part of the PORT Administration. AI is here to stay, and there is no getting away from it. So, organizations of all kinds, the ports being no exception, will have to embrace it and look at ways that they can utilize it to make their operations more efficient.

 Mike Jarrett: But, given the current situation where people feel vulnerable to AI, what aspects of AI misuse could be detrimental to port operation?

John Gibson: Because of the vast amounts of data that is used in the port system, and AI systems rely on a vast amount of data to make decisions, the AI systems could become vulnerable to cyber-attacks. A breach of the port system leading to unauthorized access to the port’s computer systems could result in disruption of the service, or even malicious activities targeting theft, destruction of cargo, et cetera. A lot of port systems are heavily reliant on automation. These autonomous systems are utilising Internet Connected Systems. Now, if these systems fail as a result of a cyber incident, the port could experience significant disruption.

The dependence on AI, without any backup or redundancy, could lead to disruptions if the AI systems are out. Job displacement is always going to be a big concern. A big part of port operations is human-manned. Meaning a human must carry out the activity. Now, with the advancement of AI, we’re looking at job losses or job displacement.

A lot of activities that are conducted by a person could easily be converted to an autonomous activity which is executed by a robot, or by a decision-making system.

And, of course, there’s data privacy concerns. Looking back to the amount of data that is collected, the details are essential to the operations of the port and in the decision-making systems. There is a lot of sensitive data that is carried along the port and in its systems. So, when you have AI systems interacting with that data, the possibility of vulnerabilities existing in the systems – technology vulnerabilities, process vulnerabilities and others – the possibility for breaches to occur increases. Then data privacy and protection become a concern. And if those concerns manifest themselves, the operation of a port is significantly impacted along with its partners and clients.

 Mike Jarrett: So, what safeguards would you recommend? How do port operations remain safe and secure?

John Gibson: It is important to consider the use of AI in the broader technological landscape. A lot of the safeguards that you can use in the broader technology landscape are also applicable to AI. Now, you have to ensure that your technology infrastructure is as secure as possible. So, you have to implement the correct Information Security and Data Privacy and Protection Program, including appropriate security technology, procedures to ensure that your infrastructure the technological layer of the port’s operations is as secure as possible. It also means that you have to utilize modern infrastructure, modern technology, modern systems, because one of the great challenges that organizations of every kind face and, in particular the ports, is where you have new systems and new technologies working together with old systems. So, you have to find a way to bridge the gap and ensure that your systems operate in as secure a manner as possible.

You also have to ensure that the data that you are inputting into these AI systems is data that is relevant to the process that you are trying to automate because the AI system will make a decision based on the data that is put in. Now, if you are not careful, you might end up with a bad decision based on the data that is put in. So, you have to make sure that the data is clear, clean and relevant to the area in which the system is being utilised.

Technology is so ubiquitous that the biggest areas of improvements that you can make to safeguard against the misuse or the challenges that AI may pose is implementation of proper security methodology; proper security technology; proper security infrastructure; proper security processes.

Mike Jarrett: What would you recommend as first steps to deal with all the problems that could occur? What should port managers be doing now? And what should they be looking at as a process to safeguard port systems?

John Gibson: The first thing that you would you want to undertake right now is an assessment. You want to look at your systems and determine in current operational state: Are they vulnerable? What is the extent of the vulnerability? How do those vulnerabilities match up against the risk appetite for the organization.

So, first things first: conduct an assessment a security assessment and an infrastructure assessment. Utilize the results of those to measure against your risk appetite. Once that is done, then you can now take the recommended steps. Certainly, with the assessments that we (at Advantum) do, we make sure to give recommendations. Act upon the recommendations. The recommendations will vary depending on the state of your organization. Prioritise those recommendations against your risk appetite. Because, in securing in your environment, the limit that you are working with is the limit that you are willing to spend. There is no shortage of technology; there is no shortage of process. But of course, you have to implement within the context of your organization and the context of your risk. So, do an assessment; prioritise the actions based on the assessment and then continuously monitor, review and improve.

Specifically, exercises such as penetration testing, vulnerability assessment; those have to be conducted. Security awareness training for your team permanent and contracted must be done.

Ensure that you have the right governance framework in place, in terms of your policies and your procedures. Ensure that your security programme is designed in a way that supports and sustains your business.

Mike Jarrett: It seems like port managers need to be sitting together at the table discussing what they need to do collectively to start the process.

John Gibson: Absolutely. Especially in the port industry, security must be (discussed) at the decision-making table. Whether we like it or not, technology has become more of a commodity. So, while you do need strong technology personnel on staff, technology is more of a commodity in today’s businesses. You switch it on and switch it off as you need it. Cloud has shown us that if you want an application to run, you go to a cloud service provider and tell them that you want a particular application for one year. They give you the cost for one year, and you press a button and turn it on and it’s functioning. But security is where all of that comes together. So, your security personnel need to be at your decision-making table. Your security manager, your security officer, your chief security officer, must be a part of strategic discussions to help set the direction and ensure that the business remains viable, secure and future proofed.

Think about what it would be if you have an AI-powered system, in a port that’s, say 80% to 90% autonomous. And it runs off of AI. If you have not considered the security of that, what could happen from one single incident. So therefore, you have to have the security people at the table.

Information security, data privacy and protection are ground zero for modern business operations and port operations are no exceptions.