There's a reason why security experts picked 2019 as the year in which the first artificial intelligence hack takes place. Peter Bailey explains how hackers and defenders are arming themselves. With cybercrime as much a business as any other, albeit one on the wrong side of the law, hackers are already sizing up the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to further their goals. It's the flip side of a coin: on the one side IT professionals are using AI to help identify and eliminate threats more effectively, and even anticipate attacks before they happen. On the other, intelligent malware offers the potential of adapting its payload and evading detection.

This story originally appeared on VentureBeat on December 27, 2016 and was written by Hira Saeed. Artificial intelligence may be the hot trend of 2016, but the term itself opens up a debate. Some praise AI, while others believe reliance on AI is fraught with danger. Others worry about the demise of humans at the hands of our AI masters. Yet whether it is the Internet of Things or health care, AI is only beginning to have an effect.