AI Q&A: What did we see in 2023 and what’s in store for 2024?
Note to readers: Artificial intelligence dominated conversations in 2023 as AI seemed to take over our lives. Although many technological developments have been positive, AI does present some security and safety concerns as cybercriminals access the same tools as the rest of us. John Joyce, co-owner of CRS Technology Consultants in Fort Myers, explains the meteoric rise of AI and the implications of granting too much power to computers.
Q. Why did AI blow up in 2023?
JOYCE: “AI has been part of our lives for decades. We just weren’t that concerned about it because AI wasn’t considered ‘dangerous.’ Like almost every other technological development, it’s not inherently bad... it’s only bad if bad people use it the wrong way.”
Q. How has AI been involved in our lives?
JOYCE: “For years, we’ve been having AI conversations with chatbots every time we call customer service. Siri and Alexa are virtual assistants built with AI. Amazon, eBay and social media sites provide AI-powered suggestions based on browsing and purchasing history. Predictive text finishes our words or sentences before we finish typing. AI technology is thriving in automobile production with lane-keeping assist systems, rear cross traffic alerts, automatic emergency braking systems and even GPS, which reroutes drivers based on live traffic data. These are all positives.”
Q. What are some of the negatives associated with AI?
JOYCE: “Cybercriminals are tech-savvy. If AI or another form of technology can help them do their jobs – which is to scam you and I – then they’ll add it to their arsenal of tools. That’s why we need to stay one step ahead of them. Antivirus programs and firewalls work great, but our best defense is education. We need to make their jobs more difficult.”
Q. How can we make the job of a cybercriminal more difficult?
JOYCE: “We must slow down. Before we click a link or open an attachment, we need to activate our scam radar. Think back 20 years ago when scammers started calling us and saying we were late on bills, but could make a payment over the phone. We know not to provide our credit card number or bank account info to these scammers. Today, we need to raise a red flag for every email or text that arrives. Always be suspicious.”
Q. What is the most common way cybercriminals are using AI to scam us?
JOYCE: “Email. For years, a tell-tale sign of phishing emails was poor writing and bad grammar. It wasn’t difficult to tell it was a scam, so we deleted the message and blocked the sender. Now, cybercriminals are using AI to draft grammatically correct emails, even adding headers, company logos, fonts and images to make them look authentic. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to know if an email is really from your bank or credit card company – they look almost identical.”
Q. So if emails are mirror images, how can you tell if an email is a scam?
JOYCE: “I often say that you have to slow down to speed up. Before you open an email, click on an attachment or enter any data, stop and think to yourself, ‘Is this legitimate?’ There are six questions to ask:
Do you know the sender?
Are you expecting an email from this person or business?
Have you subscribed to receive emails from this sender?
Does the email look like the sender’s previous emails?
Does the sender’s name match the email address?
Is an email signature at the bottom?”
Q. Do you have another example of an AI-generated email scam?
JOYCE: “Almost everyone with an email account has received emails that look like they’re from Amazon asking you to verify a purchase. To dispute the charge, you have to click a link and then enter your login information. Doing so means you just handed over the digital keys to your account.”
Q. What should you do if you receive an email like that?
JOYCE: “Don’t click on any links or open any attachments. Open a separate browser window or your banking app to see if any suspicious purchases have been made. Then open your Amazon app and click on “Your Orders” to see recent purchases. Chances are, there is no suspicious activity.”
Q. Other than emails, how are cybercriminals using AI?
JOYCE: “Scammers are tapping into the power of AI to send malicious texts, clone our voices, build fake websites and more. They can even dump everything you’ve ever posted on social media into AI, which then generates thousands of potential passwords based on your birthday, pet’s name, favorite sports team or other personal information that you’ve shared publicly on social media.”
Q. Are we reaching the end of AI’s surge?
JOYCE: “It’s the opposite. We’re probably only at the beginning. What’s happening now is we’re starting to see some pushbacks. The people developing the technology are focused on AI's capabilities, not necessarily its potential downsides. For instance, driverless cars are on the road in some cities, but have they been tested for years? Just because artificial intelligence CAN do something doesn’t mean it SHOULD. These ethical, moral and societal questions are currently being debated.”
Q. What pieces of non-AI advice would you give to readers?
JOYCE: “Hackers are persistent, and if we leave our digital doors unlocked, they will most certainly break in. I would advise that readers tackle these four tasks immediately:
Change your passwords: Use a complex combination of letters, numerals and characters. Never use the same password on more than one account and never reuse a password.
Download updates: Updating the operating system on your smartphone, laptop or tablet offers critical security patches designed to protect your device.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication: It’s a pain to wait for a one-time code via text or email every time you want to log in, but MFA helps ensure that you are the only one who can log in.
Use a Virtual Private Network: A VPN requires another login, but it encrypts your data so that if hackers intercept your information in transit, everything they collect is meaningless.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: AI expert: What did we see in 2023 and what’s in store for 2024?
