The risks of AI are transforming the cybersecurity landscape at an unprecedented pace. While artificial intelligence offers revolutionary advances, it also presents increasingly sophisticated threats that directly affect people’s online security.
By 2026, the dangers of artificial intelligence have evolved dramatically, from autonomous agents capable of executing full-scale attacks to hyper-personalized phishing generated in seconds. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll analyze the most critical threats and the most effective protection strategies.
At Enthec, we work with a preventive approach, based on early detection and the actual reduction of the attack surface. In this context, solutions like Qondar enable identifying exposed vulnerabilities, forgotten assets, and risks arising from AI use before they are exploited, providing a clear, continuous view of the current security state.
How is the development of AI affecting people’s online safety?
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing online security, transforming both opportunities and challenges in the digital realm. AI’s ability to process and analyze large volumes of data, identify patterns, and learn from them brings significant benefits. Still, it is also creating new vulnerabilities and threats that affect people.
One of the most apparent aspects of AI’s positive impact on online security is the automation of threat detection. AI-based cybersecurity tools can monitor in real time, detect anomalous behavior, identify fraud attempts, and detect malicious attacks before they cause significant damage.
This has dramatically improved incident response capabilities and reduced the time needed to neutralize threats. For individual users, this translates into better protection of their personal and financial data held by companies.
New AI-Driven Threats
However, cybercriminals also leverage AI to improve their targeted attack tactics, which target a specific person rather than an organization.
The creation of deepfakes, for example, uses AI algorithms to generate fake images, videos, or audio that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. These deepfakes can be used to spread false information, impersonate people in critical situations, or even commit fraud and extortion. AI’s ability to replicate human voices has also led to highly convincing voice scams, in which scammers pose as family members or authority figures to trick their victims.
Another significant risk is the exploitation of vulnerabilities in social networks. AI can analyze profiles and behaviors on these platforms to identify potential targets, collect personal information, and launch targeted attacks. AI-powered bots can also amplify disinformation campaigns and manipulate public opinion, affecting the security of personal data and the integrity of the information we consume.
To mitigate these risks, users must adopt robust security practices. This includes ongoing education about emerging threats and verifying sources before sharing information.
Using advanced security tools that integrate AI capabilities can provide a proactive defense against sophisticated attacks. In addition, being selective about the personal information shared online and adjusting privacy settings on social media can limit exposure to potential threats.
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The 8 most relevant AI dangers in 2026
Among the most relevant risks of Artificial Intelligence, we highlight the following.
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Autonomous AI Agents
The most sophisticated threat of 2026 is AI agents capable of autonomously executing complete attack cycles:
- Automated recognition of vulnerable systems
- Exploitation of vulnerabilities without human intervention
- Dynamic adaptation to evade detection systems
- Machine-speed operation, exceeding human response capabilities
By replicating human voices, scammers can impersonate trustworthy people. These scams often involve posing as family members or colleagues to deceive their victims and obtain sensitive information or money. They can be extremely convincing and difficult to detect without the right tools.
This ability to fully automate represents a paradigm shift in cybersecurity, enabling attackers to launch sophisticated operations without in-depth technical knowledge.
For more information on autonomous AI, access our post-> The future of autonomous AI: challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity
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AI-generated hyper-personalized phishing
Phishing has evolved radically by 2026. AI allows us to create customized attacks in seconds with near-perfect realism.
Cybercriminals are using AI to automatically create official-looking documents, bypassing traditional security filters and employing social engineering techniques so advanced that they mimic genuine communication patterns.
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Malware via WhatsApp
WhatsApp has become one of the most dangerous attack vectors in 2026:
- Lack of security filters compared to corporate email
- Circulation of malicious documents, images, and links without prior analysis
- Compromised devices turned into espionage tools
- Exponential risk for public figures and sensitive processes, such as elections
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Deepfakes and disinformation
The deepfakes have reached an alarming level of sophistication and are being used in critical processes such as remote job selection.
These synthetic contents are also used for corporate fraud. Through fake videos of executives authorizing transactions, election manipulation and mass political disinformation, extortion using fabricated compromising content, and breaches of biometric facial authentication systems, this development calls into question the reliability of identity verification systems that we considered secure until recently.
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Voice cloning with minimal samples
Voice cloning technology in 2026 requires barelyseconds of audio to create convincing replays:
- Telephone scams impersonating family members in emergency situations
- Corporate fraud through calls from fake executives
- Obtaining urgent bank transfers
- Compromise of voice authentication systems
The ease with which a voice can be cloned has made this type of attack one of the most effective and difficult to prevent.
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AI-powered ransomware
The ransomware powered by AI has evolved to include capabilities that make it more devastating than ever.
The attacks are faster and harder to attribute to specific perpetrators, and small groups can scale up to massive operations using Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS). Experts confirm that ransomware will continue to rank among the top global threats, but now with exponentially greater capacity for damage, thanks to the integration of AI.
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Data privacy issues
Artificial intelligence systems require massive amounts of data for training and operation, leading to the indiscriminate collection of personal information without explicit consent or user knowledge.
Companies that implement generative AI and language models are exposing sensitive customer and employee data through systems that can leak information via generated responses, creating unintentional privacy breaches.
The risk is compounded by the misuse of personal datato train business models without compensation or authorization from the owners, the exposure of sensitive information in autonomous AI systems that make decisions without human supervision, and the lack of transparency about what data is collected, how it is processed, and with whom it is shared.
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Intellectual property infringement
Intellectual property infringement by AI has become one of the most complex and difficult legal risks to address. Generative AI models are being trained on copyrighted content without the original creators’ authorization, including text, images, code, music, and artwork.
This creates multiple problems: the generation of content that infringes copyright by reproducing distinctive elements of protected works, sophisticated plagiarism through the creation of content that imitates styles and works of specific authors without attribution.
How to protect yourself from AI risks
Protecting yourself from AI-related personal online security risks requires education, advanced tools, robust security practices, and collaboration.
Education and Awareness
The foundation of good online security is education. Knowing the risks and how to deal with them is essential. People also need to stay informed about cybercriminals’ latest tactics, including the use of AI.
Participating in online courses and webinars, and reading blogs specializing in cybersecurity, are effective ways to stay current. Continuing education allows us to recognize warning signs and respond appropriately to threats.
Source and Authenticity Verification
One of the most significant risks today is the threat of deepfakes, which use AI to create content that appears real. To protect yourself, it’s crucial to always verify the authenticity of information before sharing or acting on it.
Verification tools, such as services that verify the authenticity of news and emails, can help identify and prevent deception.
Use Advanced Security Tools
Numerous security tools use AI to provide advanced protection. These include antivirus software, malware detection programs, and mobile security apps. These tools can analyze behavior in real-time, detect suspicious patterns, and alert users to potentially dangerous activities.
It’s essential to keep these tools up to date to ensure they’re equipped to deal with the latest threats.
Protection of personal data
The protection of personal data is critical in today’s digital environment. People should be cautious about the information they share online. Setting your social media privacy settings to limit who can see and access personal information is essential.
It is critical to use strong, unique passwords for each account and change them regularly. Additionally, using password managers can help maintain security without the need to remember multiple passwords.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security. In addition to a password, MFA requires a second factor of verification, such as a code sent to a mobile phone. This makes it difficult for attackers to access the accounts, even if they manage to obtain the password. Implementing MFA across all accounts is an effective way to increase security.
Constant monitoring
Constant monitoring of accounts and online activity can help quickly detect unusual behavior. Setting up alerts for suspicious activity, such as login attempts from unrecognized locations, allows you to act immediately.
Some services monitor the use of personal information on the dark web and alert users if their data is at risk.
Collaboration and communication
Collaboration and communication with friends, family, and colleagues about cybersecurity can help build a support network and share best practices. Discussing common threats and how to deal with them can raise collective awareness and reduce the risk of falling into cybercriminal traps.
Qondar helps you protect your data and digital assets from AI threats
Qondar is the solution developed by Enthec to protect people’s personal online information and digital assets.
Qondar monitors sensitive data, financial and patrimonial assets, and individual social profiles to detect public leaks of these assets and prevent their criminal or illegitimate use.
If you want to protect your digital assets or those of your organization’s relevant members and avoid the dangers posed by artificial intelligence to humans, contact us to learn how Qondar can help.
