Pasay City: The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) issued a warning Tuesday on the dangers of generative artificial intelligence (AI), calling it a double-edged sword that can strengthen cybersecurity but can also be exploited for cybercrime. At the GovX.0 Summit in Pasay City, Robert Sanchez Paguia, CICC Data Protection Officer, highlighted that while generative AI is a breakthrough technology, it poses significant risks to privacy, security, and public trust.
According to Philippines News Agency, Paguia defined generative AI as a subset of artificial intelligence focused on creating new content such as text, images, audio, and code. Unlike traditional forms of artificial intelligence, which analyze and interpret data, generative AI is capable of producing original outputs from the data it is trained on. Paguia emphasized that generative AI is considered a next-generation technology due to its ability to perform specific tasks intelligently.
Paguia noted that while generative AI fosters innovation, it is also being exploited by cybercriminals to manipulate information, conduct cyberattacks, and commit fraud. The CICC has warned that generative AI is being weaponized for a variety of malicious activities, including misinformation, deepfakes, training data leakage, data privacy abuses, AI model poisoning, exploitation of bias, phishing attacks, and malware attacks.
Paguia further stated that such technology could be misused in the upcoming 2025 elections, indicating the potential for election manipulation. Despite these risks, he underscored the importance of AI in enhancing cybersecurity. Generative AI can be used in threat simulation and training, aiding security teams in preparing for cyber threats, creating automated incident responses, and advancing threat detection.
The CICC stressed the need for the government to employ AI as a defensive tool, given that cybercriminals are already using it. Paguia mentioned that the CICC operates an Inter-Agency Response Center, a 24/7 command center where all computer-related or cyber-related threats can be reported. He urged victims of cybercrime to report incidents via the CICC hotline 1326.
