(MENAFN) At a recent gathering of the Dialog international discussion club in the Russian city of Vladimir, experts emphasized the critical roles that cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) will play in shaping the future of global society. The meeting took place at the Russian Presidential Academy campus, where Vyacheslav Kartukhin, the academy's head, opened the event by addressing a diverse group of attendees from the fields of academia, technology, and government.

A key topic of the meeting was the growing concern over who controls the digital landscape—humans or AI—and whether effective regulation can be introduced without infringing upon personal freedoms. Vyacheslav Kartukhin, also the president of the club, highlighted the growing complexity of cybercrime. “Fraudsters operate with increasing sophistication across countries, and cybercrime schemes change constantly, so it is crucial to share expertise,” he noted.

Elina Sidorenko, a member of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council, spoke about the alarming rise in AI-facilitated cybercrimes around the world. She remarked, “Today AI makes it easier to carry out illegal activity and accelerates criminal intent many times over.”

Reports from Interpol’s 2024 Global Cybercrime Assessment revealed that cybercrime is causing financial losses worldwide that have surpassed $13 trillion, with AI-driven attacks emerging as some of the most rapidly escalating threats. In addition, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) reported a 35% increase in AI-enhanced phishing and deepfake fraud in just the past year. These cyber incidents are not limited to financial losses—they are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure, healthcare, and government systems.

Sidorenko emphasized that the Dialog club’s platform was crucial for fostering global cooperation among experts in the field of cybersecurity. She also underscored Russia's longstanding advocacy for stronger international collaboration in combating cybercrime. The recent signing of the UN Convention on Cybercrime, which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam in October, is seen as a significant step toward this goal. This convention, with Russia’s involvement, is recognized as the first worldwide agreement designed to prevent, investigate, and combat cybercrime.

Founded in November 2022, the Dialog international forum brings together public figures, scholars, and specialists from a range of countries, including Russia, China, India, Central Asia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and several African nations, to discuss various global issues spanning social, economic, educational, and cultural sectors.

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