{"id":179714,"date":"2024-01-08T21:31:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T05:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=179714"},"modified":"2024-09-22T03:28:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-22T10:28:03","slug":"staying-safe-in-the-age-of-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/staying-safe-in-the-age-of-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stay Safe in the Age of AI"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve seen how AI can create \u2014 and how it can transform our lives. What gets talked about less is how AI protects us too<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Certainly, it\u2019s tough to miss how generative AI has turned sci-fi dreams of the past into today\u2019s reality. From AI apps that help ease loneliness thanks to their human-like conversations, to technology that can predict and manage health risks, to browsers that whip up pieces of art with a prompt, it\u2019s changing the way we go about our day and the way we live our lives.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, we find ourselves only in generative AI\u2019s earliest days. Countless more applications await over the near and distant horizon alike.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet that\u2019s the important thing to remember with AI. It\u2019s an application. A tool. And like any other tool, it\u2019s neutral. Whether it helps or harms comes down to the person using it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, on the flip side of AI, we\u2019ve seen all manner of shady and damaging applications. Hackers use AI to code new forms of malware at record rates. Scammers spin up convincing-looking phishing attacks and sites that harvest personal info, also at record rates. And we\u2019ve further seen bad actors use so-called \u201cdeepfake\u201d technologies to clone the voices and likenesses of public figures, whether for profit or to spread disinformation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, amid the excitement about AI, there runs a thread of uncertainty.\u00a0Recently, we found that 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI in daily life. Only 10% of people said they\u2019re more excited than concerned. Meanwhile, 36% feel a mix of excitement and concern.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncertainty prevails, for sure. Yet something often gets overlooked in the conversation about AI: it can offer powerful protections against all manner of threats. Moreover, AI offers particularly potent protections against AI threats. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this way, AI is your ally. At McAfee, we\u2019ve used it to protect you for nearly a decade now. In fact, AI applications have been around for some time, long before they made headlines like they do now. And we continue\u00a0to evolve AI technologies to help keep you safe. In the age of AI, McAfee is your ally. Our aim is to give you certainty and safety in rapidly changing times.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Know what\u2019s real and what\u2019s safe with McAfee\u2019s AI.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ultimately, here\u2019s what\u2019s at stake today: people want to know what they can trust, and AI has made that tricky. What\u2019s real? What\u2019s fake? It\u2019s getting tougher and tougher to tell.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The future of AI and online safety lies in pairing progress with protection. Here at McAfee, we see this as our role. We’re evolving AI in ways that give people the power to protect their privacy, identity, and devices even better than before. Now, that protection extends yet further. It also gives them the power to know what they can trust whenever they go online.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The time couldn\u2019t be more right for that. Uncertainty about AI prevails. In all, more than half of Americans we talked to said they\u2019re concerned that the arrival of AI has made online scams more accurate and believable.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our threat detection figures put their concerns into focus:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n