The FBI reveals the explosive impact of open source AI on hacking! Discover their shocking point of view!
The impact of open source artificial intelligence on hacking according to the FBI
Hackers have found a new ally in artificial intelligence (AI) to make their illicit activities more efficient and dangerous. According to the FBI, cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting open source AI models to improve their tools and trick Internet users.
Use of AI by cybercriminals
Cybercriminals have discovered that using chatbots based on language models such as ChatGPT, Google Bard or Claude can facilitate their malicious activities. By exploiting precise requests, they manage to trick these AIs to bypass the security measures and restrictions put in place by the creators of these tools. This manipulation of AI is made possible thanks to their expertise in the field.
The FBI has sounded the alarm about the widespread use of speech patterns by the criminal community. However, he noted that the AI models most popular with Internet users, like GPT, are not the favorites of hackers.
Open source models, a tool favored by hackers
Hackers prefer to use free, customizable open source AI models rather than those controlled by companies. These open source models, accessible to everyone on the internet, can easily be used to generate illegal content. In addition, these models are lighter and require less computing power than large models developed by industry giants like Google or OpenAI. Therefore, they can be used locally on a computer or even on a smartphone, a significant advantage for developers and cybercriminals.
It is also interesting to note that criminals use custom AI models developed by other hackers. On the dark web, many chatbots designed by hackers to generate illegal content, such as malware, are available. Recently, two chatbots dedicated exclusively to criminal activities have appeared on black markets: WormGPT and FraudGPT. These chatbots are designed to create persuasive phishing emails, encode viruses like ransomware, and orchestrate attacks. FraudGPT is even capable of generating software that falsifies credit cards. These chatbots are sold at a high price on the dark web.
The different uses of AI by cybercriminals
Hackers use AI in different ways to carry out their illicit activities. In particular, they use AI to design phishing pages, imitating the interface of official platforms such as banking sites. In addition, they exploit the capabilities of generative AI to create polymorphic viruses, capable of modifying their code with each execution, thus making their detection more complicated for traditional antiviruses.
Finally, scammers also use deepfake technology to extort money from their victims. They generate falsified images and videos, depicting their targets in compromising situations. They then use this content to harass their victims by posting it on social networks or pornographic sites. In addition, hackers do not hesitate to use voice cloning AI to manipulate their victims over the phone. By imitating the voices of loved ones, they manage to convince targets to trust them and give them money.
The future of AI and hacking
It is highly likely that criminals will continue to use advances in AI to enhance their illicit activities. The FBI predicts an increase in the criminal use of AI as the technology becomes more widely available. Artificial intelligence is therefore considered a national priority by the FBI.
It is essential to develop prevention and protection strategies to counter the malicious use of AI by hackers. The effort should focus on securing open source AI models and implementing more robust security measures to prevent manipulation. AI has the potential to benefit society in many areas, but ensuring its responsible and ethical use is imperative.
Source: PCMag