This blog post was updated January 2025.
No doubt, AI is being integrated into every sector, with the industry expected to grow at least 30% each year for the next decade. While most current AI applications are leveraged to impact our lives positively, AI’s immense power can be wielded for harmful purposes should it fall into the wrong hands. As AI grows more sophisticated and widespread, so do its risks, including the potential for bias, privacy infringements, and other cybersecurity risks. Let’s highlight some common AI cybersecurity risks and the ways to be safe while using AI.
1. Choose AI Apps Carefully
Not all AI applications out there are safe. Threat hackers have taken advantage of the rising demand for AI apps to create fake apps designed to trick users into downloading them. If you download these fake AI apps on your device, it will maximize the opportunity to install malware designed to steal all of your data. To minimize AI cybersecurity risks, it is crucial to practice due diligence before downloading any AI app. The rule of thumb is only to use AI tools approved and verified by your company.
2. Don’t Use Personal Information
AI tools have the capability to store inputted information on their servers for several days. Cybercriminals are getting smarter and can exploit the vulnerabilities existing in your AI tools to steal any protected data or personal information. Generally, uploading sensitive information can also violate privacy laws, ultimately attracting fines and penalties. When experimenting or using AI tools, never input Personal Identification Information (PII) into the AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.
3. Don’t Rely on AI for Accuracy
One crucial question that most users ask is, can bad data or malicious hackers fool AI? The simple answer is yes. AI tools can churn out inaccurate content. For AI to produce accurate outputs, algorithms must contain large, representative data sets. If certain groups of data sets are underrepresented, it will ultimately result in inaccurate outcomes and harmful decisions. The AI tool you are using is only as accurate as the data it uses. If the data it uses is old or incomplete, the content it churns out will be biased, inaccurate, or outright wrong.
For this reason, you should not rely on AI alone to make crucial business decisions. Always double-check the information an AI-powered device or service provides. Similarly, computer code generated with AI tools carries a similar risk. Recently, computer programmers have started using AI tools to write various codes. Although it may save them time, there is always an inherent risk of generating codes that carry various errors increasing insecurity risks.
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Pro-tip: To minimize AI cybersecurity risks, consider using tools like Google Transparency Report Safe Browsing to crosscheck AI-generated content. Safe Browsing identifies unsafe websites across the web and notifies users of potential harm. Check URLs you use against Google’s regularly updated list of unsafe web resources.
4. Don’t Use Plagiarized Content
It is entirely possible for an AI tool to match words or copy-paste words from other sources to create pieces of new content quickly. With many bloggers and businesses relying on AI writing programs for their websites, there is rising concern the work these tools produce could be plagiarized. When using AI tools to generate content for your website, you should be careful not to plagiarize content. Plagiarized content can result in penalties, including website exclusion from search engines such as Google. If you rely on AI to generate content, check for plagiarism using tools such as Turnitin and Copyscape.
5. Disable the Chat Saving Function
To reduce the risk of cybercrime and data breaches when using Chatbots such as ChatGPT, turn off the chat saving function. ChatGPT now allows users to turn off their chat history to prevent the use of their data to train and improve Openai’s AI models. In the past, ChatGPT kept track of conversations and harvested related data to fine-tune its models. Although users were allowed to clear their chat history has needed, still, their conversation could still be used for fine-tuning. This posed significant privacy issues, especially where sensitive data is concerned.
6. Stay Alert for Any Suspicious Activity
AI cybersecurity risks are expected to increase rapidly as AI tools become cheaper and more accessible. While generative AI has multiple positive applications, there are also rising concerns about its potential misuse. For example, actors can use these tools to generate fake content or deep fake videos to deceive or manipulate people. In the realm of cybersecurity, generative AI can be used for malicious purposes, including generating convincing phishing emails and codes. Although apps like ChatGPT have some protections to prevent users from creating malicious codes, actors can leverage clever techniques to bypass them and create malware. For this reason, you should always stay alert for any suspicious activity when using AI tools and content.
Discover practical strategies and gain valuable knowledge to protect your data from the advancements of AI technologies. By watching this webinar replay: Protecting Your Digital Frontier: Essential AI Cybersecurity Tips
Find the Latest Info on AI Regulations
While there is no comprehensive federal legislation regulating the development or restricting the use of artificial intelligence, many bills are being considered at both the state and federal levels that could shift this in the future. That’s just one of the reasons it is so important to stay up to date on the latest AI regulations.
While nine out of 10 businesses believe AI will give their organization a competitive advantage, more than 70% of consumers are concerned about AI-related scams. It’s important to protect your privacy using AI applications. Clearly, AI is here to stay, and it’s something that both individuals and businesses need to pay close attention to.
That’s where AI compliance comes in. AI compliance protects data privacy, reduces bias, and can help both individuals and businesses avoid legal and regulatory issues.
Practical steps for integrating AI compliance frameworks include:
- Identifying relevant compliance frameworks
- Assessing your current data handling practices
- Developing a compliance road map
- Implementing training programs
- Establishing monitoring and reporting mechanisms
Organizations that successfully integrate AI into their companies make it a regular part of daily operations while focusing on data protection and team training. In addition, it is essential for businesses of all sizes to evolve with AI regulations and rules.
Safeguard Your Organization With Trava Cybersecurity Tools
The positive impact of AI on society and our daily lives is undisputed. However, as new AI apps emerge, concerns regarding potential AI cybersecurity risks are also growing. AI technologies such as ChatGPT have various challenges and disadvantages ranging from biased or wrong content to cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The tips we have shared here can help protect yourself and your organization. If you have further questions, contact Trava. We provide expert guidance and tools to increase your resilience against ever-rising cyber-attacks. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Q&A
How Can I Avoid AI Cybersecurity Risks?
You can protect your data and avoid AI risks by limiting application permissions, avoiding inputting personal information when possible, using verified AI apps, and regularly reviewing your privacy settings. Be skeptical and pay attention to what you are doing and what information you’re sharing online.
Is ChatGPT Safe to Use?
As a general rule, yes, ChatGPT is safe to use. However, using ChatGPT and other AI models can also involve some security issues. These include privacy issues, data that is shared with third parties, and ChatGPT’s tendency to generate information that can be incorrect. How to use AI safely should be a goal for every user.
How Do I Know if I’m Using AI?
AI is everywhere. When you do an internet search, you might even see an “AI Overview” section at the top that was generated with artificial intelligence. Tools that detect the usage of AI are getting more and more effective, so if you are tasked with an assignment that needs to be done without the help of AI, make sure you follow through accordingly.
How Can I Tell if an AI App Is Safe?
Secure AI apps are backed by solid data privacy, a reputable app developer, clear information about how your personal information may be used, encryption, and positive user reviews. If you’re having concerns, pay attention to that feeling of doubt and find another option.
Will AI Take My Job Away?
That is a good question. Estimates reveal that AI may impact as many as one-third of U.S. jobs over the next decade, particularly in the areas of data science, customer service, and administration. However, the workforce and key skills continue to evolve, and there are always ways to work with AI.