AI is changing the nature of cybercrime 

By Josias Pila

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing cybercrime. The tools that can help us work smarter, communicate faster, and solve complex problems can also be exploited to deceive, manipulate, and defraud us on an unprecedented scale.

This raises an important question for South Africa: are we ready for a new era of digital deception?

The answer cannot be left to cybersecurity specialists alone. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, our ability to protect ourselves must evolve alongside it. Government, business and citizens must understand how AI is changing the threat landscape and, importantly, develop the knowledge and habits needed to recognise when technology is being used against us.

Our first line of defence may, therefore, be more than firewalls, passwords and security systems. It may be an AI-literate society – one that knows that what it sees, hears or reads online cannot always be taken at face value. 

AI is giving criminals new tools to make scams more convincing, attacks more sophisticated and deception harder to detect. Voice cloning, deepfake videos, AI-generated phishing messages and fabricated identities are enabling criminals to impersonate people and institutions with a level of realism that can be difficult to distinguish from the genuine article. What was once a suspicious email or poorly written scam can now look, sound, and feel remarkably authentic.

Interpol’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report of 2025 indicates that local organisations faced a sharp rise in cyberattacks during 2025, imposing high financial and operational costs on businesses, government institutions and consumers. 

According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre, cyber breaches and attacks in South Africa increased by 22% in 2023. Phishing, ransomware and unlawful access to information all rose markedly, while the number of victims making ransomware payments increased by 20%. Rapid advances in AI have added a new dimension to these risks.

These rising threats demand more than stronger technology; they demand a generation equipped to use it wisely. South Africans must move beyond simply operating AI tools. They must be able to question how these systems are designed, whose interests they serve, and what consequences they may carry.

Government has a critical role to play in building this capacity. South Africa’s response cannot be limited to securing networks after they have been attacked; it must also equip people to navigate a digital environment in which deception is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Government is already taking steps in this direction, including strengthening cybersecurity awareness, expanding digital skills and developing a national approach to the responsible adoption and governance of AI. 

This commitment to responsible AI governance also extends to South Africa’s role on the international stage. At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, President Cyril Ramaphosa called for human governance to advance as rapidly as artificial intelligence itself, warning of the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems, including advanced cyber operations and manipulation. South Africa subsequently proposed the establishment of an international mechanism within BRICS for the independent scientific evaluation of AI, supported by meaningful human control, the reporting of serious incidents and stronger safeguards as AI capabilities increase.

This position reflects an important principle: technological progress cannot be allowed to outpace society’s ability to understand, govern and secure it. For South Africa, this means building not only the infrastructure and skills to use AI, but also the institutions, safeguards and public awareness needed to ensure that this powerful technology strengthens society rather than deepening its vulnerabilities.

Every citizen also has a role to play in strengthening our collective cyber resilience. Before responding to an urgent request for money, sharing personal information or acting on a message that appears to come from someone we trust, we must ask a simple question: Can I independently verify that this is real? That moment of hesitation may be the difference between being protected and becoming a victim.

But we should not place the entire burden on individuals. Citizens need access to reliable information and clear guidance to navigate an increasingly complex digital environment. 

Through the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), government is strengthening efforts to counter misinformation and disinformation, including fact-checking and public education to help citizens identify manipulated content, deepfakes and other forms of digital deception. 

This is more than a communication intervention; it is an investment in an informed and resilient citizenry. Building an AI-literate nation is therefore not about creating a population that fears technology. It is about equipping citizens to use it confidently, question it critically and recognise when it is being weaponised against them. 

In an age where false information can spread rapidly, the AI era will test not only our technological capabilities, but our ability to preserve trust in an increasingly digital society. While we cannot prevent every misuse of AI, we can ensure that criminals do not outpace our preparedness. 

This requires government to strengthen frameworks, institutions and public awareness; businesses to embed cybersecurity and responsible AI practices; and citizens to question and verify what they encounter online.

South Africa’s response must therefore go beyond protecting systems to protecting people, institutions and public trust. By building an AI-literate society, strengthening resilient institutions, and placing human judgement at the centre of technological progress, we can ensure AI remains a force for empowerment rather than exploitation.

The choices we make today will shape the future of AI. Our task is to ensure that we are not only ready for that future but prepared to secure it.

*Pila is Director: Cluster Support at the GCIS

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