AI tracker: AI agents open door to new hacking threats

As AI agents evolve, cybersecurity experts warn they could become tools for hackers, enabling unprecedented risks. Meanwhile, notable figures like Vince Gilligan voice their disdain for AI-generated content. In a contrasting move, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative aims to leverage AI for medical breakthroughs.

AI agents or hackers' best friends?

Cybersecurity experts are warning that artificial intelligence agents, widely considered the next frontier in the generative AI revolution, could wind up getting hijacked and doing the dirty work for hackers. The ability to order around AI agents with plain language makes it possible for even the technically non-proficient to do mischief, AFP reports. These so-called injection attacks are not new in the hacker world, but previously required cleverly written and concealed computer code to cause damage. But as AI tools evolved from just generating text, images or video to being “agents” that can independently scour the internet, the potential for them to be commandeered by prompts slipped in by hackers has grown.

Vince Gilligan hates AI

If you’ve watched the new mind-bending Apple TV+ show Plur1bus, you may have noticed a disclaimer in the credits: “This show was made by humans.” Vince Gilligan, the creator of the show, previously known for his cult-favourite shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, has openly expressed his contempt for AI-generated content. In a recent interview, he described generative AI as “the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine” and compared AI content to “a cow chewing its cud — an endlessly regurgitated loop of nonsense.” Fans of Plur1bus have been speculating that the ‘hivemind’ at the heart of the show actually represents Gen AI.

Chan-Zuck want AI to cure diseases

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a non-profit launched by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan aimed at curing all disease, announced recently that it was restructuring to focus on using artificial intelligence to achieve that goal. The move narrows the focus of the philanthropic organization, with its current priority being funding scientific teams centralized in a facility called Biohub. Biohub envisions AI helping advance ways to detect, prevent and cure diseases, according to a blogpost by the foundation. The mission includes trying to model the human immune system, potentially opening a door to “engineering human health.”