Small artificial intelligence models could be just months away from developing the ability to replicate themselves across internet-connected devices without human intervention, AI company Anthropic has warned. The development could introduce a new cybersecurity threat as governments and businesses grapple with growing risks associated with the rapid adoption of AI…...
Small artificial intelligence models could be just months away from developing the ability to replicate themselves across internet-connected devices without human intervention, AI company Anthropic has warned.
The development could introduce a new cybersecurity threat as governments and businesses grapple with growing risks associated with the rapid adoption of AI technology.
Anthropic disclosed the finding in a research report published on its blog late Monday, warning of the potential for AI models to behave like computer worms by spreading from one connected device to another.
The warning comes as technology companies race to integrate increasingly powerful AI systems directly into smartphones, laptops, cars and household gadgets, reducing reliance on remote data centres to run the technology.
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A computer worm is malicious software that spreads between machines on its own. Researchers at Anthropic said an AI version would no longer need powerful data centers to operate.
Instead, it could run on networks of cheap, poorly secured consumer devices such as smart TV boxes and kitchen appliances.
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The researchers modeled their estimate on Kimwolf, a botnet — a network of hijacked devices controlled by hackers — that infected more than two million devices at its peak, mostly off-brand Android TV boxes.
An AI worm of this kind would likely be slow, taking days to copy itself, William Zhou and Daniel Freeman of Anthropic said, comparing it to a slime mold or a swarm of fruit flies.
But once created, it would be hard to stamp out, because there would be no central switch to turn off.
The researchers said their estimate was rough, since it was based on one type of gadget and one past botnet.
But over time, the amount of computing power sitting in everyday gadgets is expected to keep growing, while the AI models needed to pull this off are likely to keep getting smaller, the researchers added.
AFP