MI5 Chief: Slow Horses is My Spy Pick

Sir Ken McCallum, the Director General of MI5, has publicly shared his enjoyment of the spy thriller series 'Slow Horses.' The show, starring Gary Oldman, depicts a team of disavowed MI5 agents and offers a darkly comedic, less glamorous view of espionage, which Sir Ken prefers over the traditional James Bond archetype. He believes Bond stereotypes discourage potential recruits.

Sir Ken emphasized that MI5 and MI6 are colleagues, not rivals, and that collaboration with other agencies like GCHQ is vital for national security. He also addressed the growing influence of AI, stating MI5 uses it lawfully and ethically to detect threats. Sir Ken stressed the urgent need for this advantage as adversaries are also leveraging AI, creating a critical race in its development and application.