Experts Warn AI Double-Edged Sword for Defenders, Cybercriminals

(MENAFN) The growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into cybersecurity is transforming the landscape, with experts warning that the technology is being wielded by both defenders and cybercriminals alike. While AI offers powerful tools for protecting against digital threats, it is also proving to be a potent asset for attackers.

Sergey Lozhkin, who leads Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META) regions, shared with media that AI has now become ubiquitous, spanning uses from code generation to video creation, extending beyond just ethical applications.

“AI doesn’t know if something is good or bad, and even if it has some kind of protective mechanism, it can be bypassed,” Lozhkin emphasized.

He added, “AI could work in both spaces — to enhance the attacking capability of bad actors and to enhance the defensive capability of cybersecurity vendors. It could be both used in legitimate and non-legitimate ways, and each year, they are used more and more by security professionals and bad guys.”

Lozhkin cautioned that the widespread adoption of AI could not only jeopardize cybersecurity but also impact society as a whole. He noted, “Everybody is using AI right now for different kinds of tasks — code generation, video creation, and anything like this. And it will still be the fight of sword and shield, but enhanced with AI.”

State-backed advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, known for executing high-level cyberattacks, have also begun to leverage AI, though their targets—governments, telecoms, logistics, and high-tech industries—remain largely unchanged over time.

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