AI, once relegated to helping hackers with certain tasks, can now power every stage of a cyberattack
Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images
ByDavid DiMolfetta,
Cybersecurity Reporter, Nextgov/FCW
July 13, 2026 09:00 PM ET
Researchers determined that AI was used in steps across entire cyber operations to identify security flaws, generate commands and carry out parts of intrusions, sometimes with little human oversight. Both U.S. and Chinese AI models have been involved.
Just two years ago, hackers were tapping into generative artificial intelligence to probe targets, translate technical material and troubleshoot malicious code. The technology sped up some key parts of a cyber operation, but other stages remained solely in human hands.
That line is now beginning to blur. In a range of cyberattacks observed over the past year, AI systems generated commands, tested vulnerabilities and helped hackers move through victim networks, sometimes carrying out thousands of commands with less human direction than researchers had previously seen, according to researchreleased Monday night by...
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