As tools for building AI systems, particularly large language models (LLMs), get easier and cheaper, some are using them for unsavory purposes, like generating malicious code or phishing campaigns. But the threat of AI-accelerated hackers isn’t quite as dire as some headlines would suggest.
The dark web creators of LLMs like “WormGPT” and “FraudGPT” advertise their creations as being able to perpetrate phishing campaigns, generate messages aimed at pressuring victims into falling for business email compromise schemes and write malicious code. The LLMs can also be used to make custom hacking utilities, their creators say, as well as identify leaks and vulnerabilities in code and write scam webpages.
One might assume that this new breed of LLMs heralds a terrifying trend of AI-enabled mass hacking. But there’s more nuance ...
