Google, which is part of Alphabet Inc, has announced it will provide free artificial intelligence tools to combat the growing threat of the use of AI in cyber security and cybercrime and improve cybersecurity.

• Google has released an open-source AI tool to identify file types and detect malware.
• The tool is currently used to protect Google Drive and Gmail and is free of charge.
• Google plans to present a white paper at the Munich Security Conference describing the use of artificial intelligence for cyber defence.
• Google plans to provide more funding for research grants and collaborations to promote cybersecurity research focused on artificial intelligence.
• Concerns about the role of AI in cybercrime have increased. In March 2023, experts warned that AI tools could be used for criminal activities.
• Artificial intelligence has proven to be an important tool for detecting and neutralising hackers, especially Chinese hackers.

Google announced on Friday the release of an artificial intelligence-based tool that is available as open source. The tool will identify file types to find malware. According to Bloomberg, the tool, which is currently used to protect Google Drive and Gmail, will be made available free of charge.

In addition, Google will present a white paper at the Munich Security Conference in Germany describing the use of artificial intelligence for cyber defence. In addition, a policy programme will be proposed to support advanced research in artificial intelligence and autonomous cyber defence principles.

“Our cyber defence AI initiative reverses the defender’s dilemma, where the defender must always be right and the attacker must only be right once,” said Kent Walker, president of Alphabet Global Affairs, in a statement. He added that maintaining the momentum requires policies that both mitigate the risks and capitalise on the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.

To support cybersecurity research projects focused on artificial intelligence, Google will also increase its funding for research grants and collaborations.

This move comes at a time when hackers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence in their cyber operations.

This week, Microsoft Corporation published a study that revealed that state-sponsored criminal organisations are using advanced language models such as ChatGPT with OpenAI to improve their strategies and solve technological problems.

Concerns have grown about the role of artificial intelligence in cybercrime. Experts warned in March 2023 that ChatGPT and other AI tools could be used for cybercrime. According to Oded Vanunu, Head of Vulnerability Research at Check Point Software, ChatGPT4 can give malicious actors – even non-technical ones – the tools they need to accelerate their activities.

In the same month, it was revealed that hackers had tricked users into revealing personal information using an AI chatbot from Bing. In response to these cases, strict regulations on artificial intelligence were called for to curb potential threats.

However, artificial intelligence has also proven to be an important tool in locating and neutralising hackers who pose a threat to critical infrastructure. Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used by US intelligence agencies to track cyberattacks, particularly those by Chinese hackers.