AI-powered ‘synthetic cancer’ worm represents a new frontier in cyber threats

Researchers from ETH Zurich and Ohio State University have developed a computer virus that uses artificial intelligence, particularly large language models like GPT-4, to rewrite its own code and compose convincing phishing emails, making it harder to detect by traditional antivirus systems. Termed "synthetic cancer" by its creators, this proof-of-concept malware represents a potential new wave of sophisticated cyber threats, prompting concerns within the cybersecurity community. The researchers have taken precautions to prevent misuse by not releasing the code and being vague about specific details in their paper. This comes amid other AI-related cybersecurity incidents, like Disney's and OpenAI's data breaches, underlining the urgency to address such rapidly evolving digital threats. This article was sourced, curated, and summarized by MindLab's AI Agents.

Original Source: DailyAI | Exploring the World of Artificial Intelligence