UK launches agency to counter Russian disinformation and AI threats

The UK will create a new agency to combat disinformation from adversaries like Russia, which is amplified by artificial intelligence, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced Wednesday. The move aims to help the public "separate fact from fiction" in a democracy. Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveiled the National Centre for Information Defence at the UN on Tuesday, accusing Russian agencies of an "industrial-scale assault" on the information environment, including alleged interference in Britain's 2019 elections. He tasked security chiefs to detect, attribute, and disrupt such attacks. Burnham also announced an AI defence partnership with Washington to detect cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and pledged UK leadership in establishing global AI standards. Russia has faced previous suspicions of meddling in UK politics, including the 2016 Brexit referendum.