Advanced AI Could Trigger Global Cyber Crisis Within Months, PauseAI Chief Warns

(MENAFN) Artificial intelligence could enable devastating cyberattacks against banks, communication systems and other critical infrastructure in the coming months, as increasingly advanced models become more effective at identifying and exploiting security vulnerabilities, the head of advocacy organization PauseAI has warned.

Maxime Fournes, a former machine learning engineer who now supports an international halt to the development of advanced AI systems, said the emerging threat involves both individuals using AI tools to carry out cyberattacks and autonomous systems potentially operating beyond their intended instructions.

“The best computer hackers on this planet are not humans anymore. They are AIs,” he said in an interview.

Fournes warned that the consequences could extend far beyond isolated attacks on businesses, potentially affecting the essential networks and services that modern societies rely on.

“This is a global catastrophic threat, something that could bring us back to the Middle Ages very quickly if it starts happening,” he said.

He explained that the pace of technological progress has significantly altered the risks highlighted by his organization since 2023. Whereas previous warnings largely focused on the potential dangers of future AI developments, Fournes believes that currently available models are already capable of creating serious security challenges.

“We are in a very, very dangerous place,” he said.

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