Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Fez – A new Google report suggests artificial intelligence may already be helping hackers build dangerous cyberattacks.
The news has generated widespread alarm among experts, with many seeing in AI’s cybercrime shift an indication of the digital world marching towards a dangerous point of no return.
Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) revealed that it has discovered, for the first time, a cyber threat linked to a zero-day exploit believed to have been developed with the help of AI.
The discovery marks a major shift in the growing relationship between artificial intelligence and online security threats.
Zero-day vulnerabilities are among the most serious forms of cyberattacks because the targeted company or users often know nothing about the flaw before it is exploited.
This leaves defenders with virtually no time to react or prepare.
According to Google, the unidentified threat actor appeared to be preparing what the company described as a “mass exploitation event.” The company said its early discovery may have stopped the attack before it could be deployed on a large scale.
Google also stated that it does not believe its own AI model, Gemini, was involved.
However, the company said it has “high confidence” that another AI system helped discover the vulnerability and build the exploit.
The report did not identify either the targeted company or the hackers behind the operation.
Still, Google noted that groups connected to China and North Korea have shown growing interest in using AI to uncover security weaknesses and support cyber operations.
‘The tip of the iceberg’
The case is raising fresh concerns about how quickly AI tools are evolving beyond everyday consumer use.
While AI is increasingly used to improve productivity, creativity, and research, cybersecurity experts warn that the same technology can also become a powerful weapon in the wrong hands.
John Hultquist, chief analyst at GTIG, described the incident as only the beginning of a much larger challenge.
In comments reported by The New York Times, he called it “the tip of the iceberg” and said it was the first real evidence showing how AI could actively support sophisticated cyberattacks.
Google said cybercriminals are already using AI at different stages of attacks, from identifying weaknesses to improving phishing campaigns and automating malicious code.
At the same time, technology companies are also trying to use AI as a defensive tool.
Last month, Anthropic announced Project Glasswing, an initiative designed to use its Claude Mythos Preview model to detect and defend against high-level security vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.
The growing race between AI-powered attacks and AI-driven defense systems is now becoming one of the defining battles of the digital era.
Security experts warn that as artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, cyber threats may become faster, more automated, and harder to detect.
For now, Google’s discovery serves as an early warning that the next generation of cyber warfare may already be taking shape.
