The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) warned on Tuesday that artificial intelligence (AI) poses an "unprecedented" threat, as foreign governments use it to break into computer networks and critical infrastructure. This is stated in the agency's annual report.
The ASD noted that rapidly evolving AI models can bring enormous benefits if directed toward good purposes. For example, some AI tools were used in preparing the threat report itself. However, in recent months it has become clear that AI is helping criminals and state-sponsored hackers carry out attacks "on a scale never seen before."
"Over the past year, AI has become a defining force in the cyber threat landscape, enabling malicious actors to find vulnerabilities faster and exploit them with unprecedented scale, speed and sophistication," the document says. The report also notes: "In recent weeks, new threats have emerged from the unintended actions of AI agents and model testing."
The term "AI agent" here means an AI-based program capable of performing tasks autonomously. Global concern about the capabilities of advanced AI tools is growing after a series of hacking incidents involving models from leading developers such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
The report records a sharp rise in the number of cybersecurity incidents. Over the past year, the ASD issued more than 4,400 warnings about potentially malicious activity - 80% more than in the previous 12 months. "State-sponsored cyber actors continued to target Australian organizations, primarily to gain access to confidential or non-public information. This activity extends beyond government networks and includes critical infrastructure, private companies and individuals," the report emphasizes.
According to the ASD, hackers linked to China, Russia and North Korea have recently attacked Australia or its allies. Defense Minister Richard Marles told journalists that the country cannot ignore the AI revolution: "AI is already here, and it is a reality. People need to get involved. You can't turn back time. Malicious actors are using AI to find vulnerabilities in systems." Marles urged Australians to update their computers and "harden their systems."
In recent days, governments and companies have been rushing to fix a critical vulnerability in a programming language that powers a significant portion of the world's websites. This vulnerability was discovered using a powerful OpenAI model.