The FBI has warned that hackers are running wild with generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, quickly creating malicious code and launching cybercrime sprees that would have taken far more effort in the past.
The FBI detailed its concerns on a call with journalists and explained that AI chatbots have fuelled all kinds of illicit activity, from scammers and fraudsters perfecting their techniques to terrorists consulting the tools on how to launch more damaging chemical attacks.
According to a senior FBI official (via Tom’s Hardware), “We expect over time as adoption and democratization of AI models continues, these trends will increase.” Bad actors are using AI to supplement their regular criminal activities, they continued, including using AI voice generators to impersonate trusted people in order to defraud loved ones or the elderly.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen hackers taking tools like ChatGPT and twisting them to create dangerous malware. In February 2023, researchers from security firm Checkpoint discovered that malicious actors had been able to alter a chatbot’s API, enabling it to generate malware code and putting virus creation at the fingertips of almost any would-be hacker.
The FBI strikes a very different stance from some of the cyber experts we spoke to in May 2023. They told us that the threat from AI chatbots has been largely overblown, with most hackers finding better code exploits from more traditional data leaks and open-source research.
For instance, Martin Zugec, Technical Solutions Director at Bitdefender, explained that “The majority of novice malware writers are not likely to possess the skills required” to bypass chatbots’ anti-malware guardrails. As well as that, Zugec explained, “the quality of malware code produced by chatbots tends to be low.”
That offers a counterpoint to the FBI’s claims, and we’ll have to see which side proves to be correct. But with ChatGPT maker OpenAI discontinuing its own tool designed to detect chatbot-generated plagiarism, the news has not been encouraging lately. If the FBI is right, there could be tough times ahead in the battle against hackers and their attempts at chatbot-fueled malware.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.