Artificial Intelligence

Zero-Click AI Worm Can Hack WeChat Accounts Via Calls

Is this a positive step in cybersecurity or a marketing pitch ignoring consumer safety?

Published 3 days ago

Zero-Click AI Worm Can Hack WeChat Accounts Via Calls

Story

Above: The WeChat logo displayed on a tablet screen in France on Oct. 5, 2020. Image credit: Lionel Bonaventure/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

This is a real-world nightmare — one security experts have long warned about — come to life. In the span of just about a week, a small team using AI was able to build this worm, which previously would've taken months. With more than a billion users now sitting in the blast radius, publishing this report was a necessary step toward developing safeguards before hackers take control of everyone's devices.

Calif.io The New York Times

Narrative B

This is a marketing stunt meant to attract Big Tech clients, not protect the public. Just like coronavirus gain-of-function and the so-called 'rogue' AI agents, where sloppy researchers opened the floodgates, the same crowd cashing in on AI safety funding keeps using staged demos as global emergencies. Meanwhile, hackers continue targeting everything from personal devices to energy infrastructure, leaving only the tech companies safe.

Hadi Partovi on X Spiked