Generative AI, Digital Resilience, and Civil Preparedness: A knowledge Overview

The study examines how generative AI can impact society’s digital resilience and civil preparedness. The results are divided into three perspectives: technology, organization, and governance.

Project: Generative AI, Digital Resilience, and Civil Preparedness: A Knowledge Overview by Christine Große and Leif Sundberg, published by Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University in May 2024. The study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI), specifically generative AI, affects society’s ability to withstand digital threats and strengthen civil preparedness.

The study, funded by MSB, aims to identify opportunities and risks associated with generative AI, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, in relation to digital resilience and societal preparedness. The focus is on the role of the technology in areas like cybersecurity, harmful content, and organizational governance and innovation. A total of 164 scientific articles were reviewed.

• Generative AI: Technology capable of creating text, images, and video based on prompts. It can be used both constructively and destructively, for instance, in creating deepfakes and disinformation.
• Digital Resilience: The ability to maintain critical societal functions despite disruptions in digital systems.
• Civil Preparedness: Society’s preparation and capability to handle and recover from crises.

The report identifies themes under three main perspectives: technology, organization, and governance.

• Technology: Generative AI can be used to both create and detect harmful content like disinformation. It presents both opportunities and threats for cybersecurity.
• Organization: AI can foster innovation and knowledge management but requires appropriate mechanisms to ensure ethical use.
• Governance: AI’s impact on democracy, legislation, and public trust are critical issues that require global regulation and management.

The study concludes with recommendations for future research and emphasizes the importance of responsible AI use to support secure digitalization and strengthen societal resilience.

Report can be found here: Generativ AI, digital resiliens och civil beredskap:en kunskapsöversikt External link.