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According to the ESET SMB Cyber Readiness Index 2026, over 80% of global social engineering attacks now use AI, enabling cybercriminals to rapidly generate convincing phishing emails, malware, and ransomware. This widespread malicious use of AI has led to significant security breaches and privacy violations worldwide.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The article explicitly describes AI systems being used to create and accelerate cyberattacks, including phishing, ransomware, and malware, which have directly led to harm such as data breaches and security incidents affecting organizations worldwide. The harms include violations of privacy and security, which fall under harm to communities and potentially violations of rights. The AI systems are central to these harms, as they enable more effective and widespread attacks. This meets the criteria for an AI Incident because the AI's use has directly led to realized harm. The article does not merely warn of potential harm (which would be a hazard) nor does it focus on responses or updates (which would be complementary information).[AI generated]