Share post:
The intersection of artificial intelligence, privacy, and security has never been more relevant - or more complex. On February 19th, DMV Rising brought together three visionary leaders who are shaping this conversation from remarkably different vantage points: acclaimed artist, geographer, and author Trevor Paglen, former NSA architect and Virtru CTO Will Ackerly, and Cape CEO John Doyle.
Hosted at the Virtru HUB with dozens of DMV-based technology executives and influencers in attendance, the gathering created a unique space where art, technology, and security converged to examine one of the most pressing questions today: How do we maintain privacy and integrity in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence?
Following a networking session, the event kicked off with a solo presentation from Paglen, titled “Technospheres, Invisible Images, Cognitive Warfare,” which took the audience on a journey through his unique artistic exploration of surveillance, AI, and the hidden infrastructures that shape our digital world. His work, which spans from diving off the Florida coast to photograph NSA telecommunication cables to developing AI models that challenge our understanding of machine perception, bridges the gap between art and technology in unexpected ways.
"I could see a moment happening where most of the images in the world would be made by machines for other machines," Paglen observed, highlighting a pivotal realization that drove much of his work. This notion led him to develop tools that would allow him to "see through the eyes of machines," raising profound questions about the nature of perception itself - both biological and cultural.
In a nod to the rapid commercialization of AI, Paglen quipped that if he had built companies instead of art pieces, he "would be a billionaire." His recent work has turned to examining how AI is transforming media authenticity, drawing parallels between AI-generated content and UFO photography - both challenging our ability to distinguish reality from fiction.
The presentation concluded with a sobering discussion on cognitive warfare and the scalability of social engineering through AI. In response to how we can protect ourselves from this unfortunate reality, Paglen said “On one hand, you can take the approach of ‘we should ban TikTok and regulate social media.’ That is one approach. Another approach is thinking about how social norms get weaponized against us. A more productive route is thinking about comprehensive privacy legislation, which would make it very difficult to build tools that are designed to manipulate people, like targeted ad creation.”
The panel discussion, moderated by Virtru's SVP & Legal Counsel Mishi Choudhary, started off with John Doyle discussing the formation of his organization Cape, and the challenge of protecting telecommunications at the infrastructure level, with an emphasis on "holding privacy and security as first principles, not afterthought bolt-ons."
Doyle also addressed the challenge of maintaining technological integrity in a politically charged environment: "When administrations change and tides shift, it's tempting to try and adjust your course as a technologist. Just keep building tech you believe in."
Virtru CTO Will Ackerly brought his unique perspective from his time at the NSA, highlighting the evolving landscape of data vulnerability and the emergence of fully automated AI-based attacks. This prompted Choudhary to chime in, "It's good when geniuses are scared, that means innovation is around the corner."
The discussion took an unexpected turn when Paglen made a comparison between cognitive warfare and junk food, specifically Doritos - both technically consumable but ultimately lacking in nourishment. This analogy spurred an exchange about the future of AI-generated content. Doyle proposed the concept of an "AI nutrition label,” providing transparency about whether content is "real" or generated.
Ackerly expanded on this theme, discussing Virtru's involvement with C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) and advocating for proactive content verification rather than reactive authentication. He emphasized that "Forward-proving that you made something is a better route than retroactively proving it with algorithms."
Ackerly went on to highlight the importance of treating AI agents with the same security protocols as human actors when handling sensitive information. This includes maintaining comprehensive inventories of AI interactions with data and implementing robust access revocation procedures to maintain data integrity.
The session concluded with the panel discussing “light at the end of the tunnel.” Will Ackerly again drew from his NSA experience working within executive order constraints to illustrate how regulatory frameworks can actually drive innovation rather than hinder it. His emphasis on building technology that remains resilient to changing priorities - complete with fundamental security features like robust access controls - resonated as a practical approach to navigating the complex landscape of AI development.
The evening's discussions illuminated the complicated interplay between technological advancement and privacy preservation, as well as the critical importance of building ethical frameworks alongside technological innovation. As AI continues to reshape our world, the insights shared by these industry leaders provide valuable direction for navigating the challenges ahead.
For news on the next DMV Rising event, stay tuned by following us on Linkedin or X.
