It's AI vs AI in the cyber-crime world amid rising digital threats

The recent cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover crippled the output of the car maker. It is estimated that this could have caused an economic loss of about $2.5 billion to the UK. 

“This incident appears to be the most economically damaging cyber event to hit the UK, with the vast majority of the financial impact being due to the loss of manufacturing output at JLR and its suppliers,” said a report by Cyber Monitoring Centre, an independent, not-for-profit organisation.

  The impact of cyberattack is not limited to enterprises, but it affects an entire industrial ecosystem — including the vendors and suppliers. 

 

The six-week shutdown of manufacturing impacted not just the sales of Jaguars, but also left a cascading impact on the economy. 

Always a threat, cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Every tool that has been used to combat cyber threats is also being weaponised. 

“The rapid adoption of emerging technologies is contributing to new vulnerabilities as cybercriminals harness them effectively to achieve greater sophistication and scale,” says the ‘Global Cybersecurity Outlook’ report of World Economic Forum.

Anthropic, the creator of the Claude chatbot, warns that hackers are “weaponising” its AI, which has been used to develop malicious code affecting at least 17 organisations. The technology also helped hackers choose targets and suggested ransom amounts. 

According to reports, “North Korean operatives” used Anthropic models to create fake profiles to apply for remote jobs at US Fortune 500 tech companies. 

As AI threats increase, governments are also deploying AI to fight cyber crime. OpenAI has been given a $200 million contract for helping the US Department of Defense improve its AI capabilities, including for cyber defense. 

OpenAI will “develop prototype frontier AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges in both warfighting and enterprise domains,” the Department of Defense said in a statement.

 

Similarly, Microsoft has offered a cybersecurity programme to European governments for boosting their defences against cyber threats, including those enhanced by artificial intelligence. A report said that the programme aims to boost intelligence-sharing on AI-based threats and help to prevent and disrupt attacks. 

India is alert to the AI versus AI war in cyber security. The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS), the National Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS), and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) signify a broader institutional move toward digitised security management. Additionally, the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) surveillance platform, NETRA (NEtwork TRaffic Analysis), empowers Indian agencies to monitor encrypted communications and detect early indicators of potential threats. 

The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), established under Section 70A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, serves as India’s central agency for safeguarding critical information infrastructure. It collaborates closely with key sectors such as banking, telecommunications, power, and transportation — areas essential to national security and public safety. Through continuous monitoring, risk analysis, and the issuance of sector-specific guidelines, NCIIPC enhances defensive measures and mitigates risks that could disrupt vital services. 

Enterprises and government agencies will have to constantly equip themselves with newer tools to counter threats. The WEF report says that most organisations don’t have the skills to counter AI threats. India is attempting to improve its capacity and capability in AI skills. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), through its Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), has introduced the Winter Internship Programme 2025 for undergraduate and postgraduate students passionate about cybersecurity and digital forensics.

The AI vs AI war will intensify in the ensuing months. Every skill and capability will be needed in this war against cyber crime against industry and the economy.