The National Security Agency's (NSA) research chief, Dr Gilbert Herrera, recently spoke about the agency's focus on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. According to Dr Herrera, AI is already changing the way the NSA does business, with advanced machine learning algorithms being used to analyse vast amounts of data.

Dr Herrera also discussed the NSA's efforts to address ethical and privacy concerns surrounding AI, including the development of explainable AI systems and the adoption of ethical principles for AI. Herrera pointed out that difficulty can arise if these technologies are developed without considering how security will be included into them.

The head of research also mentioned that the NSA is investing heavily in quantum computing, which could potentially revolutionise encryption. While he acknowledged that it is still early days for quantum computing, he emphasised the importance of continued investment in the technology. As these technologies continue to develop and mature, they will likely play an increasingly important role in national security and intelligence operations.