AI is one of, if not, the most powerful innovation of the decade. gave Very powerful. Yet with this power comes the danger of abuse.
Whenever a new, disruptive technology is introduced into society, if there is a way to abuse it for the illegitimate benefit of others, the tyrants find it. Thus, the threat of AI is not inherent to the technology itself, but rather the unintended consequence of bad actors using it for purposes that wreak havoc and harm. If we do nothing about these cyber threats posed by the misuse of AI, legitimate, beneficial uses of the technology will suffer.
1. AI-powered phishing attacks
One of the most obvious examples of malicious use of AI technology is the improvement of phishing schemes. Fraudsters, who try to convince victims to share personal information by impersonating a trusted source, use generative AI technology to make their messages more persuasive.
While generative AI is designed for purposes such as drafting emails or powering customer service chatbots, a scammer can feed a model a library of written content from a person they want to imitate and create a Hopes to create a reliable simulation. This makes it very difficult to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent messages.
2. Deep Fax
Generative AI can also be used by fraudsters to create fake images, audio and video clips known as “deepfakes”. Deepfakes have been in the news recently for their use for destructive purposes, including reputational damage, blackmail, disinformation, and manipulation of elections and financial markets. With how advanced this technology has become, it is now very difficult to differentiate between genuine and doctored material.
3. Automated cyber attacks
Another capability of AI that abusers have caused significant harm to society is the ability to perform sophisticated data analytics. While this standard can greatly benefit companies' efficiency and productivity, it can also increase the performance of bad actors — hackers included. Hackers can program an AI model to continuously probe networks for vulnerabilities, thereby increasing the volume of their attacks and making them harder to detect and respond to.
4. Attacks on supply chains and critical infrastructure
However, an even more significant threat arises when these automated attacks are targeted against critical infrastructure or supply chains. Almost everything in our world — from shipping routes, traffic lights, and air traffic control to power grids, telecommunications systems, and financial markets — runs on computers. If a hacker were to gain control of one of these networks through an automated attack, the potential damage (both in terms of financial and loss of life) could be catastrophic.
Fighting against misuse of AI
Thankfully, these cyber threats that miscreants are taking advantage of AI will go unchecked because many of the tools these bad actors use to cause harm are outfitted for cybersecurity work. Can be reused. The same models that hackers train to identify vulnerabilities, for example, can be used by network owners to discover vulnerabilities that need to be repaired. AI models are also being developed to analyze text, images and audio to determine whether they are legitimate AI-generated or fraudulent.
We also have a powerful tool to fight against these harmful use cases: education. By being aware of cyber threats that exploit AI, we can help protect ourselves from falling victim to them. We must use robust cybersecurity practices, including strong passwords and access controls, when handling suspicious messages and determining whether they are fraudulent or authentic.
Artificial intelligence is poised to change the world, but whether that change is for better or worse depends on who gets the technology and how they use it. To create a world where AI can be used to make the world a better place, we must first gain a clear understanding of how technology is being used to harm, because of its potential. is the first step in mitigating dangerous cyber threats.
Ed Wattle is an AI thought leader and technology investor. One of his key projects includes BigParser (an ethical AI platform and data commons for the world). He is also the founder of Intellibus, an INC 5000 “Top 100 Fastest Growing Software Firm” in the USA, and lead faculty of the AI ​​Masterclass — a joint operation between NYU SPS and Intellibus. Forbes Books is collaborating with Ed on an important book on our AI future. Board members and C-level executives at the world's largest financial institutions rely on him for strategic change advice. Ed has been featured on Fox News, QR Calgary Radio, and Medical Device News.