The latest research from Mandiant on generative AI reveals threat actors are interested in generative AI, but usage remains limited.
Threat intelligence and security researchers at Mandiant have been monitoring threat actors' interest and utilisation of AI capabilities since 2019. Despite this interest, the adoption of AI in malicious activities remains constrained, primarily focused on social engineering.
In contrast, information operations actors with varying motives have increasingly embraced AI-generated content, especially images and videos, for disinformation campaigns. The recent introduction of new generative AI tools has sparked renewed attention to these capabilities.
Mandiant predicts that generative AI tools will accelerate the integration of AI into both information operations and intrusion activities.
These technologies possess the potential to significantly amplify malicious operations by providing threat actors, even those with limited resources, advantages akin to those offered by exploit frameworks such as Metasploit or Cobalt Strike. Although adversaries are experimenting with AI tools, their practical application in operations remains limited.
Generative AI technologies offer information operations actors two significant advantages: the efficient expansion of their activities beyond their inherent capabilities and the creation of realistic fabricated content for deceptive purposes.
Generative AI models can create articles, political cartoons, or benign filler content, streamlining persona building. Conversational AI chatbots based on large language models can help operators overcome language barriers when targeting foreign audiences. Additionally, hyper-realistic AI-generated content can be more persuasive than traditional fabricated content.
Generative adversarial networks (GANs) and generative text-to-image models are the main categories of AI-generated imagery. Threat actors have been using GANs to create realistic profile pictures for inauthentic personas, often with affiliations to nation-states or non-state actors.
Text-to-image models present an even more deceptive threat, enabling a more comprehensive range of appli ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
