A New AI Tool From Google DeepMind Proved the Signal Protocol Is Secure
TL;DR
Wired reports that Google DeepMind researchers used a new AI tool to formally verify that the Signal protocol, one of the most widely used encryption protocols, works as intended. Formal verification uses mathematical proofs to check that a system meets its specification, work that has traditionally required enormous manual effort from experts. The researchers describe an ambitious long-term goal of applying the same approach to all the software in the world.
Nauti's Take
If AI can deliver formal proofs for cryptography faster, that is real progress for software used by millions of people. The limit remains that a proof covers the verified model of the protocol, and bugs in a concrete implementation or on a device are outside its scope.
Security teams should look closely at the tool, while the goal of covering all the world's software is a vision for now.
Sources