Meta Reports Increase in Malware Related to ChatGPT
Meta, the owner of Facebook, revealed on May 3, 2023, that it had discovered malware associated with the popular artificial intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT. Malware purveyors have been leveraging public interest in ChatGPT to trick users into downloading malicious apps and browser extensions, as per the report published by Meta. The company claimed that around ten malware families and over one thousand malicious links have been found between March and May 2023, posing as tools that feature ChatGPT.
The malware families delivered working ChatGPT functionality alongside abusive files, as per the report. The executives at Meta compared this phenomenon to the cryptocurrency scams and called it "the new crypto" for bad actors. Meta is preparing its defenses for various potential abuses related to generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT, which can create human-like writing, music, and art quickly.
The ChatGPT technology is feared to spread online disinformation campaigns more easily, and lawmakers have already flagged the tools as a concern. The Meta executives, when asked if generative AI was already being used in information operations, said that it was still early to say. However, they expected bad actors to use the technologies to speed up and scale up their activities in the future.
The rise in ChatGPT-related malware highlights the importance of being careful while downloading any application or extension. The users need to be vigilant and ensure that they download software only from authorized sources to prevent any malware attacks.
