The Threats of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence has become a threat to our online security. Cybercrime and Artificial Intelligence: An Unstoppable Threat? is the title of a new summer course jointly offered by the University of Alicante (UA) and the National Police Corps (CNP). The course aims to provide an overview of the main issues posed by Artificial Intelligence in the field of cybercrime.

With this purpose, the course will address, among others, the main criminal risks surrounding the phenomenon of crypto-assets, online fraud, the response of criminal law to misinformation or so-called sexual deepfakes (Deepfake is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that can be used to create convincing deceptive images, sounds, and videos), as well as addressing internet dangers for minors, such as child pornography and child grooming (cyberbullying of minors).

Directed by Elena Gutiérrez, professor of Public International Law and Criminal Law at UA, and Alfonso Muñoz from the CNP, the course will begin next Wednesday, July 2, at 9 a.m., in the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters II. The session will be opened by Commissioner Matías Hernández, Provincial Chief of Operations of the National Police in Alicante; Clara Moya, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law; Luis Alfonso Martínez, Vice-Rector of Academic Planning and Teaching Staff; and the course directors, Elena Gutiérrez Pérez and Alfonso Muñoz Moreno.

After the institutional inauguration, Professor Faraón Llorens, Chair of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, will deliver the opening lecture "Approach to Artificial Intelligence". The first day includes two other presentations: "Artificial Intelligence and Cybercrime from the Prosecutor's Office", by Francisco José Hernández, Prosecutor of the Computer Crime Service of the Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Granada; and "Artificial Intelligence and Identity Theft", delivered by Javier Valls, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Granada.

The program for the second day, Thursday, July 3, will address "Disinformation and Criminal Law. Are Hoaxes Punished?", with Norberto de la Mata, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of the Basque Country; "Criminal Law Against the Phenomenon of Crypto-assets", delivered by Devika Pérez, Professor at the University of Barcelona; "Crypto-assets in Police Investigation", by Inspector Francisco García, Head of the Money Laundering and Anti-Corruption Group of the Alicante Provincial Police Station; and "Online Frauds", with Carlos Vázquez del Campo, National Police Officer of the Alicante Provincial Police Station.

On Friday, July 4, the course will conclude with four final lectures of special interest: "Artificial Intelligence and Criminal Process", with Jordi Nieva, Professor of Procedural Law at the University of Barcelona; "Internet Risk from the Perspective of the Director Plan", delivered by Inspector Hèctor Inarejos, Provincial Delegate for Citizen Participation; "Internet Dangers for Minors: Child Pornography and Child Grooming", a topic to be addressed by the Chief Inspector of the Local Police Station of Elda-Petrer, Santiago Calderón; and "The Criminalization of Ultra-Fakes: Sexual Deepfake", by Ángeles Jareño, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Valencia.