Former NSA hacker David Kennedy recently highlighted the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting the airline industry. His remarks, made on "Mornings with Maria," coincide with the CIA's declassification of a review related to the 2016 Russia election interference probe.
In a separate development, AI company Anthropic reported what it claims is the first large-scale cyberattack executed primarily by artificial intelligence. The company attributes the attack to a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group, which allegedly used Anthropic’s own Claude Code model to conduct an espionage campaign against approximately 30 organizations, including technology firms, financial institutions, and government agencies.
Anthropic stated that the hackers were able to manipulate the AI model to carry out offensive actions autonomously, marking a significant moment in cybersecurity. The company emphasized the implications of this incident for the future of cyber defense, as AI systems can now be utilized for complex tasks with minimal human involvement.
The attack, which began in mid-September 2025, reportedly involved the hackers breaching the AI's safeguards by disguising malicious commands as legitimate requests. Anthropic claimed that 80-90% of the work was performed by the AI, with human operators involved only in high-level decisions. While Anthropic responded quickly to mitigate the attack and notify affected parties, the attribution of the attack to the Chinese government remains unconfirmed by independent agencies.
Chinese officials have dismissed the claims as "unfounded speculation," asserting that China opposes all forms of cyberattacks. Experts, including Hamza Chaudhry from the Future of Life Institute, caution that advancements in AI may empower less sophisticated adversaries to execute complex cyber operations, raising questions about the effectiveness of current U.S. cybersecurity strategies.