SYDNEY: Australia has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is creating unprecedented cyber security threats, enabling foreign governments and criminal groups to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks on computer networks and critical infrastructure.
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) said on Tuesday that rapidly advancing AI technology was allowing malicious actors to identify security weaknesses and exploit them at greater speed and scale.
“AI has been the defining force in the cyber threat landscape over the past year,” the agency said in its annual cyber threat report.
It warned that emerging risks also included unintended actions by autonomous AI agents and vulnerabilities uncovered during model testing.
Cyber Threats Rise Sharply
The report revealed a significant increase in suspicious cyber activity, with the agency issuing more than 4,400 warnings about potentially malicious incidents over the past year.
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That represented an 80 percent increase compared with the preceding 12 months.
According to the directorate, state-sponsored hackers continued targeting Australian organisations to obtain sensitive information.
The threats extended beyond government networks to private companies, critical infrastructure operators and individuals.
Government Urges Stronger Defences
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles acknowledged that artificial intelligence was transforming cyber security and warned that malicious actors were exploiting the technology.
“AI is here and it’s real. People need to engage,” Marles told reporters.
He urged Australians to update their computers and strengthen digital security measures.
The warning comes amid growing international concern over AI-assisted hacking, including incidents involving advanced models developed by leading technology companies.
Governments and businesses have also been addressing serious software vulnerabilities, including a recently discovered flaw identified using an OpenAI model.
The directorate acknowledged AI’s potential benefits but stressed that its rapid development was also reshaping the global cyber threat environment.
