The dark side of AI

Cybersecurity specialists CMTG say the rapid adoption of AI is improving many aspects of everyday life, but the speed of innovation is presenting new risks.

Founder and Director Carl Filpo said there is an imperative to address the cybersecurity implications of AI usage.

“As AI continues to expand its influence, there are growing concerns regarding its potential cybersecurity implications,” he said.

“While AI offers immense benefits, it also presents new challenges and vulnerabilities that must be addressed to safeguard sensitive information and protect against cyber threats.”

Recent data breaches have highlighted the risk of hackers stealing client data. Filpo said the rapid adoption of AI systems has expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals.

“AI systems are seen as lucrative targets for hackers given the vast amounts of data they generate. Many AI systems rely on an extensive amount of personal data to make accurate predictions and decisions, and if this data is not properly safeguarded, it can be exposed or exploited by malicious actors,” he said.

According to Filpo, organisations should implement strong data protection mechanisms, including data encryption, access controls and anonymisation techniques, to uphold privacy standards while utilising AI technologies.

He also warned that AI systems can be targeted in adversarial attacks, such as attempts to manipulate AI algorithms, inject malicious data or poison training datasets to compromise the integrity and reliability of AI-driven systems, causing harm to businesses.

These attacks look to deceive the AI system by introducing carefully crafted data to manipulate the algorithm, causing the system to misclassify or make incorrect decisions.

“The potential for adversarial attacks is probably something that isn’t talked about enough among the business community, but they can have significant consequences,” Filpo said.

“For example, AI is increasingly used as part of image recognition systems, which malicious actors could deceive into misidentifying objects.

“It may sound minor, but it can have dire consequences when we are talking about critical applications like in autonomous vehicles or medical diagnostics.

“AI has immense potential to drive innovation and efficiency across industries. However, with every technological advancement comes new challenges. We believe a proactive approach to cybersecurity is essential in mitigating the risks associated with AI adoption,” he said.

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