Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: A Double-Edged Sword

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a hot topic, there is also an increasing amount of misinformation and confusion about what it can do and the potential risks it presents. The cultural legacy of decades of literature and film has depicted dystopian visions of human downfall at the feet of omniscient machines. On the other hand, many people understand the beneficial potential of AI to speed up and help the evolution of our society. Although computer systems can learn, reason, and act, these behaviors are still in their early stages. Machine Learning (often abbreviated as ML) needs huge amounts of data even for just learning, translated into training or coaching depending on the function that is assigned to Artificial Intelligence. Allowing AI access to information and giving it full autonomy therefore carries serious risks that must be considered.