Advisory for APS School Students

Introduction

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has sparked intense debates and concerns about its potential impact on humanity. Sam Altman, CEO of AI research laboratory OpenAI, and Altman, known as the father of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, hold a complex position, recognising both the existential risks AI poses and its potential benefits. In a world tour to raise awareness about AI risks, Altman advocates for global cooperation to establish responsible guidelines for AI development. Artificial intelligence has become a topic of increasing interest and concern as technology advances. Developing sophisticated AI systems raises many ethical questions, including whether they will ultimately save or destroy humanity.

Addressing Concerns

Altman engages with various stakeholders, including protesters who voice concerns about the race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). Critics argue that focusing on safety rather than pushing AGI development would be a more responsible approach. Altman acknowledges the importance of safety progress but believes capability progress is necessary to ensure safety. He advocates for a global regulatory framework similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which would coordinate research efforts, establish safety standards, monitor computing power dedicated to AI training, and possibly restrict specific approaches.

Risks of AI Systems

While AI holds tremendous promise, it also presents risks that must be carefully considered. One of the major concerns is the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) without sufficient safety precautions. AGI systems with unchecked capabilities could potentially pose existential risks to humanity if they surpass human intelligence and become difficult to control. These risks include the concentration of power, misuse of technology, and potential for unintended consequences.

There are also fears surrounding AI systems’ impact on employment. As machines become more intelligent and capable of performing complex tasks, there is a risk that many jobs will become obsolete. This could lead to widespread unemployment and economic instability if steps are not taken to prepare for this shift in the labour market.

While these risks are certainly caused for concern, it is important to remember that AI systems also have tremendous potential to do good in the world. By carefully designing these technologies with ethics and human values in mind, we can mitigate many of the risks while still reaping the benefits of this exciting new frontier in technology.

Open AI Systems and Chatbots

Open AI systems like ChatGPT and chatbots have gained popularity due to their ability to engage in natural language conversations. However, they also come with risks. The reliance on large-scale training data can lead to biases, misinformation, and unethical use of AI. Ensuring open AI systems’ safety and responsible development mitigates potential harm and maintains public trust.

The Need for Global Cooperation

Sam Altman and other tech leaders emphasise the need for global cooperation to address the risks associated with AI development. They advocate for establishing a global regulatory framework for superintelligence. Superintelligence refers to AGI operating at an exceptionally advanced level, capable of solving complex problems that have eluded human comprehension. Such a framework would coordinate research efforts, enforce safety standards, monitor computing power, and potentially restrict specific approaches. International collaboration is essential to ensure responsible and beneficial AI development while minimising the risks of misuse or unintended consequences.

Can AI Systems Make the World a Better Place: Benefits of AI Systems

AI systems hold many benefits that can greatly improve human life. One of the most significant advantages of AI is its ability to process large amounts of data at a rapid pace. In industries such as healthcare, this has allowed for faster diagnoses and more effective treatments. Another benefit of AI systems is their capacity to learn and adapt over time. This allows for more personalised experiences in areas such as customer service, where AI-powered chatbots can provide tailored solutions based on an individual’s needs. Additionally, AI can potentially increase efficiency in various industries, from manufacturing to transportation. By automating repetitive tasks, human workers can focus on higher-level tasks that require creativity and problem-solving skills. Overall, the benefits of AI systems are numerous and promising for improving human life in various ways.

We must remember the impact of AI on education. It has already started to show its potential by providing personalised learning experiences for students at all levels. With the help of AI-driven systems like intelligent tutoring systems (ITS), adaptive learning technologies (ALT), and educational chatbots, students can learn at their own pace without feeling overwhelmed or left behind.

While there are certain risks associated with the development of AI systems, there are also numerous opportunities for them to make our world a better place. By harnessing the power of these technologies for good, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and generations to come.

Conclusion

The AI revolution presents both extraordinary opportunities and significant challenges for humanity. The benefits of AI, when developed responsibly, have the potential to uplift societies, improve quality of life, and address long-standing global issues. However, the risks associated with AGI demand careful attention and international cooperation. Governments, researchers, and industry leaders must work together to establish guidelines, safety measures, and ethical standards to navigate the path toward AI systems that serve humanity’s best interests and safeguard against potential risks. By taking a balanced approach, we can strive for a future where AI systems save humanity rather than destroy it.

Introduction

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There has been a recent surge of misinformation all over social media, claiming that every Indian ought to receive an allowance of ₹2,000 under some "Prime Minister's scheme." The message, which has been circulated far and wide on almost all platforms-WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, etc.-has urged users to click on an unfamiliar link to claim the allowance in their bank accounts.

It would seem like a very attractive offer, especially at a time when common citizens are coping with rising costs of living. But upon further examination, it turns out to be an outright online scam. NewsMobile fact-checked the claim and confirmed that no such scheme exists. Thus, the message circulating is a scam that aims to mislead common citizens.

Such an incident is not isolated. Over the years, fraudulent posts falsely offering benefits in the name of the government or well-known brands have been on the rise. These scams are not just about misinformation-they take advantage of trust, lure people into clicking, and sharing personal info that poses serious risks to financial and personal security.

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Anatomy of the Viral PM Scheme Scam

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The viral message received attention and was written in Hindi. It read:

“सभी नागरिकों को PM योजना के तहत दो हज़ार रुपए का भत्ता प्रदान किया गया है अपने bank खाते में प्राप्त करने के लिए click करें."

(English: “All citizens have been provided an allowance of ₹2000 under the PM scheme. Click to receive it in your bank account.”)

Beneath this was an odd link that, upon clicking through investigation, turned out to be not working and invalid. An examination of government sites, official handle accounts, and other such was done and no announcement for any such allowance was found.

This provides a neat explanation of a phishing attempt by which a scammer induces urgency and temptation in order to lure citizens into clicking a malicious link. While the link may no longer be active, it could very well have once redirected users to websites that harvest personal information such as Aadhaar numbers, bank details, or login credentials.

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The Broader Problem: Fake Government Scheme Scams

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Some scams have been exploiting the hoax gimmick of the ₹2,000 PM scheme into the wider trend. How do the con men work? They leverage the credibility of governmental initiatives to scam citizens. In the past, fake promises were made concerning free gas cylinders, cash allowances, subsidised rations, or even job opportunities. 

During the COVID times, for instance, fake vaccination registration links and so-called relief scheme offers went viral, preying on the fears and vulnerabilities of ill-informed citizens. Likewise, false schemes associated with reputed companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, TATA Group, and Hermès have also gone viral, promising free gifts or allowances. 

The one thing that makes scams associated with the government very dangerous is the exploitation of people's trust in authority. The common citizen is predisposed to believe the PM scheme or the Government Yojana because of the social credibility accorded to these announcements.

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How These Scams Operate

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These are scams where the creators intend deception and in the end, gain from defrauding a person. Fraudsters first create clickbait messages that are duly recorded to resemble official communications and often bear the government logos and bear a mix of Hindi-English text with the phrase "Pradhan Mantri Yojana" to make it sound legitimate. The messages then redirect users to bogus websites that really look very much like the government's portals, asking sick persons to enter personal information. Finally, as soon as they have obtained this data, the scammer uses it for identity theft, bank fraud, or sells it on the dark web. Social engineering does play a large role in these scams: here terms of urgency like limited time, last chance, and whatnot get created with the aim of pushing the targets to act on these without thinking. For maximum reach, victims are also asked to forward the message to their friends and family, causing the scammer to go viral across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram.

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Risks to Citizens

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Risks are serious and manifold to falling prey to these scams. The immediate kind of risk is financial loss: divulging bank account details, an OTP, or credentials may constitute providing attackers the power to drain funds therefrom. Another prevalent kind of identity theft occurs through hijacked Aadhaar, PAN, or personal information that subsequently finds its way into fake loans or SIM activations. Apart from monetary losses, opening malicious links might also make devices infected with spyware or ransomware, thereby invading privacy and security. Victims tend to experience a form of psychological trauma due to feelings of betrayal or humiliation of being deceived, thus discouraging them from reporting, which in turn enables such scams to go undetected.

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Best Practices for Prevention

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It is prudent to exercise good cyber hygiene and be on the lookout for such scams. The citizens should verify each statement against government-authorised websites like https://www.mygov.in or through press statements of the ministries prior to believing it. One should not click on suspicious links offering money, gifts, or subsidies. Red flags like poor grammar, an unofficial domain name, or too-good-to-be-true offers can enable one to identify the scam in time. Two-factor authentication, antivirus software updates, and securing devices can drastically lower the threat from the technical angle. Equally important is the reporting of issues: always report any suspicious activities to cybercrime.gov.in or to the nearest cyber cell so that the authorities may trace some pattern and issue advisories accordingly. Finally, one can do some good by sharing verified fact checks within their circles to build added strength against misinformation and scams.

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Policy and Community Role

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While individual awareness is important, collective action must be taken against these fake government scheme scams. Platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and X (Twitter) must tune up fraudsters' message detection mechanisms. In the meantime, Government Bodies must alert citizens periodically on new scams through their official handles/schemes and through community outreach. 

Civil society and fact-checking agencies play an important role in dispelling frequently viral hoaxes. This work must be amplified to reach people's consciousness in regional languages for the very reason that in these terrain zones, forwarded messages are much more trusted.

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Conclusion

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The viral ₹2,000 PM scheme scam is a reminder that everything that is viral online cannot be trusted in toto. The scammers of the day are inventing newer scams to gain trust, spread misinformation, and extort innocent citizens.

The best defence will be awareness and alertness. Citizens must verify any claims through official channels before clicking on a link, sharing their data, or even acting upon it in any way. With proper cyber hygiene and avoiding suspicious messages, we can counterattack by reducing the percentage of impact that these scams may have and collaboratively build a secure digital environment. 

As India pushes itself further into a digital ecosystem, both empowering and being resilient to cyber fraud is not a state of individual security, but a national agenda.

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References

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• https://www.newsmobile.in/nm-fact-checker/fact-check-viral-post-claiming-pm-scheme-offering-rs-2000-allowance-is-a-scam/
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/financial-literacy/investing/beware-of-deepfake-scams-fraudsters-using-ai-videos-to-push-schemes-promising-unrealistic-returns-red-flags-to-watch-out-for/articleshow/124085155.cms
• https://www.business-standard.com/finance/personal-finance/invest-rs-21-000-to-earn-rs-20-lakh-monthly-viral-videos-of-fm-are-fake-125082000517_1.html
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2124728

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Introduction

The Telecommunications Act of 2023 was passed by Parliament in December, receiving the President's assent and being published in the official Gazette on December 24, 2023. The act is divided into 11 chapters 62 sections and 3 schedules. Sections 1, 2, 10-30, 42-44, 46, 47, 50-58, 61 and 62 already took effect on June 26, 2024. 

On July 04, 2024, the Centre issued a Gazetted Notification and sections 6-8, 48 and 59(b) were notified to be effective from July 05, 2024. The Act aims to amend and consolidate the laws related to telecommunication services, telecommunication networks, and spectrum assignment and it ‘repeals’ certain older colonial-era legislations like the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and Indian Wireless Telegraph Act 1933. Due to the advancements in technology in the telecom sector, the new law is enacted. 

On 18 July 2024 Thursday, the telecom minister while launching the theme of Indian Mobile Congress (IMC), announced that all rules and provisions of the new Telecom Act would be notified within the next 180 days, hence making the Act operational at full capacity. 

Important definitions under Telecommunications Act, 2023

1. Authorisation: Section 2(d) entails “authorisation” means a permission, by whatever name called, granted under this Act for— (i) providing telecommunication services; (ii) establishing, operating, maintaining or expanding telecommunication networks; or (iii) possessing radio equipment.
2. Telecommunication: Section 2(p) entails “Telecommunication” means transmission, emission or reception of any messages, by wire, radio, optical or other electro-magnetic systems, whether or not such messages have been subjected to rearrangement, computation or other processes by any means in the course of their transmission, emission or reception.
3. Telecommunication Network: Section 2(s) entails “telecommunication network” means a system or series of systems of telecommunication equipment or infrastructure, including terrestrial or satellite networks or submarine networks, or a combination of such networks, used or intended to be used for providing telecommunication services, but does not include such telecommunication equipment as notified by the Central Government.
4. Telecommunication Service: Section 2(t) entails “telecommunication service” means any service for telecommunication.

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Measures for Cyber Security for the Telecommunication Network/Services

Section 22 of the Telecommunication Act, 2023 talks about the protection of telecommunication networks and telecommunication services. The section specifies that the centre may provide rules to ensure the cybersecurity of telecommunication networks and telecommunication services. Such measures may include the collection, analysis and dissemination of traffic data that is generated, transmitted, received or stored in telecommunication networks. ‘Traffic data’ can include any data generated, transmitted, received, or stored in telecommunication networks – such as type, duration, or time of a telecommunication. 

Section 22 further empowers the central government to declare any telecommunication network, or part thereof, as Critical Telecommunication Infrastructure. It may further provide for standards, security practices, upgradation requirements and procedures to be implemented for such Critical Telecommunication Infrastructure. 

CyberPeace Policy Wing Outlook:

The Telecommunication Act, 2023 marks a significant change & growth in the telecom sector by providing a robust regulatory framework, encouraging research and development, promoting infrastructure development, and measures for consumer protection. The Central Government is empowered to authorize individuals for (a) providing telecommunication services, (b) establishing, operating, maintaining, or expanding telecommunication networks, or (c) possessing radio equipment. Section 48 of the act provides no person shall possess or use any equipment that blocks telecommunication unless permitted by the Central Government. 

The Central Government will protect users by implementing different measures, such as the requirement of prior consent of users for receiving particular messages, keeping a 'Do Not Disturb' register to stop unwanted messages, the mechanism to enable users to report any malware or specified messages received, the preparation and maintenance of “Do Not Disturb” register, to ensure that users do not receive specified messages or class of specified messages without prior consent. The authorized entity providing telecommunication services will also be required to create an online platform for users for their grievances pertaining to telecommunication services. 

In certain limited circumstances such as national security measures, disaster management and public safety, the act contains provisions empowering the Government to take temporary possession of telecom services or networks from authorised entity; direct interception or disclosure of messages, with measures to be specified in rulemaking. This entails that the government gains additional controls in case of emergencies to ensure security and public order. However, this has to be balanced with appropriate measures protecting individual privacy rights and avoiding any unintended arbitrary actions. 

Taking into account the cyber security in the telecommunication sector, the government is empowered under the act to introduce standards for cyber security for telecommunication services and telecommunication networks; and encryption and data processing in telecommunication. 

The act also promotes the research and development and pilot projects under Digital Bharat Nidhi. The act also promotes the approach of digital by design by bringing online dispute resolution and other frameworks. Overall the approach of the government is noteworthy as they realise the need for updating the colonial era legislation considering the importance of technological advancements and keeping pace with the digital and technical revolution in the telecommunication sector. 

References:

1. The Telecommunications Act, 2023 https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:AP:88cb04ff-2cce-4663-ad41-88aafc81a416
2. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2031057
3. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2027941
4. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/new-telecom-act-will-be-notified-in-180-days-bsnl-4g-rollout-is-monitored-on-a-daily-basis-scindia/articleshow/111851845.cms?from=mdr
5. https://www.azbpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Update-Staggered-Enforcement-of-Telecommunications-Act-2023.pdf
6. https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/blog/analysing-the-impact-of-telecommunications-act-2023-on-digital-india-mission/111828226

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