10 ways AI can inflict unprecedented damage in 2026 (www.zdnet.com)

By 2026, weaponized AI is poised to significantly reshape the cybersecurity landscape, merging advanced threat tactics with unprecedented speed and adaptability. Experts predict that threat actors will fully leverage AI not only to enhance traditional attack methods, such as social engineering and malware development, but also to automate the entire attack lifecycle through agentic systems. This evolution follows a pivotal year in 2025 marked by the first large-scale AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaigns, highlighting the urgent need for organizations to upskill their cybersecurity teams. Key concerns include the emergence of AI-enabled malware capable of dynamically adapting to evade detection, as well as the risk of prompt injection attacks that exploit vulnerable AI systems to bypass security measures. The anticipated rise of powerful AI tools used independently by employees—often without IT oversight—exacerbates vulnerabilities and threatens sensitive data integrity. As malicious AI technologies become increasingly sophisticated and integrated into cyberattack strategies, the AI/ML community must grapple with these challenges while developing countermeasures to anticipate and mitigate evolving threats.