A tech expert has warned that new advances in AI-powered technology will lead to an'explosion' in cybercrime in 2024. Shawn Henry, the chief security officer for CrowdStrike, recently shared how cybercriminals can use AI to sneak through individuals' cybersecurity defenses, spread misinformation, or infiltrate corporate networks. Cybercriminals can use AI to mislead people into believing false narratives during the election season and potentially giving up sensitive information, said the retired executive assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The cybersecurity veteran's warning comes when AI has been given more jobs than ever, including in the US federal and state governments. Twenty-seven departments of the US federal government have deployed AI in some way, and many states have, too.

Artificial intelligence has been described as a'general purpose technology'. This means that, like electricity, computers and the internet before it, AI is expected to have applications in every corner of society. Unfortunately for organisations seeking to keep their IT secure, this includes cybercrime. In 2020, a study by European police agency Europol and security provider Trend Micro, identified how cybercriminals are already using AI to make their attacks more effective, and the many ways AI will power cybercrime in future. "Cybercriminals have always been early adopters of the latest technology and AI is no different," said Martin Roesler, head of forward-looking threat research at Trend Micro, when the report was published. "It is already being used for password guessing, CAPTCHA-breaking and voice cloning, and there are many more malicious innovations in the works."