JANUARY 25: In this photo illustration a young man types on an illuminated computer keyboard typically favored by computer coders on January 25, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/
WASHINGTON (TNND) — More than 100 artificial intelligence and cybersecurity companies are warning the federal government that increasingly powerful AI systems could dramatically expand the scale and sophistication of cyberattacks in the coming months, potentially putting critical infrastructure, businesses and national security at greater risk.
Thejoint warning, signed by companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, argues that tasks once requiring highly skilled hackers and significant time could increasingly be accelerated or automated by artificial intelligence.
AI companies warn cyberattacks could surge within months as public concerns grow (TNND)
Experts say AI systems can analyze enormous amounts of computer code and identify potential vulnerabilities far faster than an individual hacker working alone.
“You have these AI systems that are able to find vulnerabilities in this massive amount of code, much better than any human could do on their own,” said John Licato, an associate professor at the University of South Florida.
The consequences could extend far beyond stolen passwords or compromised personal information.
V.S. Subrahmanian, a professor at Northwestern University, said attacks targeting critical infrastructure could have serious real-world consequences, including disruptions to hospitals, electrical systems and water treatment facilities.
This could be very serious… so think water treatment plants, far more chemicals could be released into water that we all drink than is the appropriate amount….electricity could be turned off to critical facilities,” Subrahmanian explained.
But the companies behind the warning are also presenting artificial intelligence as a major part of the solution.
In their letter, the companies argue AI can give defenders access to specialized cybersecurity capabilities while making security work “faster, cheaper and better.” They are calling for greater collaboration and information sharing so vulnerabilities and fixes discovered by one organization can help protect others.
That dual role comes as the technology industry faces growing public scrutiny over AI’s rapid expansion and its potential impact on jobs, privacy, security and society — raising questions about how companies developing increasingly powerful systems should balance innovation with responsibility for the risks those systems may create.
All technology that’s been developed has been both a threat and a solution,” Subrahmanian said, adding that the public has “every right to be concerned about AI.”
Despite the urgency of the warning, the more than 100 companies signing the letter did not announce specific deadlines, new financial commitments or individual investments tied to addressing the threat.
Instead, their message is that government and industry need to prepare now — before AI-enabled cyberattacks become easier to launch and harder to stop.
