NHS England rushes to hide software over AI hacking fears - New Scientist

NHS England is withdrawing all its software from public view, issuing new guidance that demands existing and future software be kept behind closed doors. The reason? Fears of hacking from cutting-edge AI. Because nothing says "we have a handle on this" like a panic-stricken retreat from the public internet. This is the same health service that has spent billions on digital transformation, only to now admit that the emperor's new clothes are vulnerable to AI-driven cyber attacks. The guidance follows recent warnings from the US and allies that AI agents should not be trusted—a message the NHS seems to have interpreted as "hide everything and hope for the best."

The new guidance is a masterclass in tactical opacity: hide the software, hope the AI doesn't find it. It's like telling a patient that the cure for cancer is to stop looking at tumours. But the solution is not to pull up the drawbridge like a medieval castle; it's to build proper defences. Instead, we get a digital version of a child covering their eyes and thinking they're invisible. The guidance supposedly covers both existing and future software, which presumably includes the AI systems the NHS is itself deploying. Does that mean they'll hide those too?

The irony is exquisite. AI is both the threat and the promised saviour. The government has been touting AI as the solution to NHS waiting lists, workforce shortages, and diagnostic delays. But now that AI itself can be weaponised, the strategy is to hide. The next step will probably be to ban hackers from owning computers. The NHS has chosen the path of least resistance: pretend the problem doesn't exist by locking the doors. Good luck—the AI that can hack software is also very good at finding hidden doors.