Artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to drastically change how we live. We have a lot to look forward to if the AI tools we currently have are any indication of what is to come.
We also have a great deal to worry about. Particularly, AI is being weaponized by cybercriminals and other threat actors. This is a real issue, and misuse of AI picture generators is not unheard of. The top 4 methods threat actors weaponize AI image generators, which can pose a severe security risk, are covered in this article.
Top 4 Threat Actors’ Use of AI Image Generators as Weapons
Like almost any technology, AI image generators are susceptible to misuse by bad actors. They have already been used to a number of evil uses. So, what types of cyberattacks and scams might a criminal carry out with the aid of AI image generators?
Engineering, social
Threat actors utilize social engineering, such as making phony social media profiles, as one obvious application of AI image generators. A scammer might use these phony social media pages to catfish because some of these programs can produce incredibly realistic photos that exactly resemble real photographs of real people.
Contrary to real people’s photos, AI-generated photos cannot be found using reverse image search, and the cybercriminal does not have to rely on a small number of images to trick their victim because they can use AI to generate as many as they want, starting from scratch to build a convincing online identity.
Donation fraud
Millions of people from all over the world contributed clothing, food, and cash to the victims of the deadly earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria in February 2023.
A BBC investigation claims that scammers took advantage of this by utilizing AI to produce lifelike photos and request money. One con artist used AI to create images of destruction on TikTok Live and asked viewers for money. Another posted an AI-generated image of a Greek firefighter rescuing a wounded child from ruins and requested his followers to donate Bitcoin.
False information and deep fakes
Governments, activist organizations, and research tanks have long issued advisories regarding deepfakes. AI picture producers add a new element to this issue with how realistic their works are. Deep Fake Neighbour Wars is a comedy program from the UK that pokes fun at improbable celebrity pairings.
This may have consequences in the real world, as it almost did in March 2022 when an internet hoax video purporting to be Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordering Ukrainians to surrender spread, according to NPR. But that’s just one instance; there are innumerable other ways a threat actor may use AI to distribute fake news, advance a false narrative, or ruin someone’s reputation.
Advertising fraud
In 2022, researchers at TrendMicro found that con artists were utilizing AI-generated material to produce deceptive adverts and peddle dubious goods. They produced photos that implied well-known celebrities were using particular goods, and they then employed those photos in advertising campaigns.
