Artificial intelligence is making cybercrime faster and more scalable rather than fundamentally transforming the methods criminals use, according to Interpol Scale of Cyber Threats . Bjorn R. Watne, global chief information security officer at Interpol, said AI is primarily strengthening existing tactics such as scams, fraud and identity-based attacks.
Speaking on the sidelines of Tech Week Singapore, Watne said criminals can now use AI to target large numbers of victims at the same time. Better translation tools and increasingly convincing digital identities are also making it harder for people to distinguish fraudulent interactions from legitimate ones.
“It’s an evolution and not a revolution,” Watne said, describing AI’s main impact as an increase in the “speed and scale” of established cybercrime techniques.
Companies Need Targeted Protection
Watne urged companies to avoid trying to defend against every possible cyber threat simultaneously. Instead, businesses should first identify their most valuable and critical assets, or their “crown jewels,” and determine which criminals or groups might want to steal, damage or disrupt them.
Companies can then use threat intelligence to understand the tactics and technologies used by potential attackers and build defenses around those specific risks.
The level of protection required can vary significantly depending on the threat. A business facing opportunistic criminals may need a different strategy from one targeted by sophisticated, persistent threat actors.
Watne also pointed to a continuing gap between corporate leadership and cybersecurity teams. Although Cyber Threats are increasingly appearing on corporate risk registers, cybersecurity is still not fully integrated into board-level decision-making at many companies.
Agentic AI Creates New Concerns
Watne said the growing use of agentic AI presents another area of concern. Unlike systems that simply provide information, agentic AI can take actions on behalf of users, meaning mistakes could have consequences beyond incorrect answers.
The risks become more serious when AI is connected to physical systems. Watne highlighted vehicles and self-driving technology as examples where an AI system making the wrong decision could potentially cause physical harm.
Trust in Technology Is a Risk
Another challenge is the high level of trust people place in technology. While consumers often remain cautious with financial services and use safeguards such as PINs, they may be quicker to accept prompts, download applications and grant permissions to new technologies.
Watne said this willingness to trust technology without sufficient scrutiny can create additional opportunities for cybercriminals, particularly as AI makes deceptive interactions increasingly convincing.
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