AI Is Behind 50% Of Spam — And Now It's Hacking Your Accounts
AI is taking over the spam and phishing sectors.
getty
Artificial Intelligence is, I admit with a certain amount of begrudging respect, impressive to put it mildly. At least when it is used to help make work more efficient and leisure more, erm, leisurely. However, when AI is misused or employed for nefarious purposes, it becomes a concern for all of us. We've already seen this when the first big story broke as an AI attack on Gmail users went viral in 2024. Things have changed since then, and not for the better, as the latest research reveals. Now, half of your spam is generated by AI, and cyberattacks are increasingly using AI-powered methods. Here's what you need to know.
It's official: more than half of the spam that you receive has been created using AI tools. That's the finding of newly published research, a collaboration between Barracuda and researchers from Columbia University and the University of Chicago, which found that, in April 2025, the actual number was 51%.
This isn't altogether surprising. After all, AI does a better job, for the most part, in producing less spelling and grammatical errors, ensuring that linguistically the messages are understandable across geographies, and can be tweaked to have just the right tone to convince the reader to respond. And that, dear reader, is concerning. Not from the perspective of spamming in the broader sense, but rather when it comes to cybersecurity implications, as such techniques are applied to phishing attacks. The same report found that, already, 14% of the business email compromise attacks analyzed were AI-generated. Extrapolate that across all phishing attack scenarios, and I'm sorry to say, the situation will soon become untenable.
Wei Hao, a PhD student at Columbia University, and one of the researchers behind the report, said that 'spam showed the most frequent use of AI-generated content in attacks, outpacing use in other attack types significantly over the past year.'
What the research also found was that AI-generated emails didn't differ significantly from human-generated attack emails, at least not in terms of engendering a sense of urgency. It appears that AI, like human attackers, recognises the effectiveness of this method in persuading a recipient to act and become a victim. 'Urgency is a deliberate tactic commonly used to exert pressure and elicit an unthinking response from the recipient,' Hao said, which suggested 'attackers are primarily using AI to refine their emails and possibly their English rather than to change the tactics of their attacks.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
26 minutes ago
- Forbes
‘Borderlands 4' Adds A Hugely Requested Feature Months Before Launch
Borderlands 4 Gearbox Borderlands 4 has officially become my most-anticipated game of the year, between how good its previews have looked and the glowing hands-on reviews that have just hit the internet this past week. Now, I am deeply impressed by what Gearbox has just announced. Due to a load of fan feedback and debates about the issue, they have added a feature to the game that will launch with it in September, a demonstration of both listening to the playerbase and nimble development. The debate was whether or not the Borderlands 4 'compass' system of locating objectives and enemies was better than a 'minimap' system that did the same thing but in a different format. Gearbox adamantly defended the compass decision, but the conversation was so pervasive that it has just been announced that Borderlands 4 will indeed launch with a combat minimap option. Here's Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford showing off the system during a 32-tweet thread covering the issue: Randy credits the community for helping to reinforce how important this issue is and that it needed to be addressed: 'This happened because of the best elements of our community. I'm talking about the real fans who sincerely want the best for the game and gave constructive notes and made reasonable arguments. You know who you are and you rock! You made this happen!' I'm not exactly sure which side of this I come down on. I think perhaps the compass, as it seems less intrusive in the UI, but I'll try both out to be sure. Regardless, it's great that there's an option, and you really do not see this sort of thing happen this quickly and way ahead of launch, rather than a 'yeah, we'll look into that for the future' sort of thing. It seems like it's all green lights for Borderlands 4 so far. The only negative things I've heard about it are not about the game itself, but people saying they didn't like Borderlands 3 , so they're not excited about 4. But a lot of the praise about Borderlands 4 is that it's fixing many of the issues of 3, from combat movement to looting to even the tone of its writing. That, combined with what appears to be a very reactive dev team on top of their game, I think this is going to be a big fall launch, particularly with a number of other games moving out of its way. Can't wait to play. Follow me on Twitter , YouTube , Bluesky and Instagram . Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .
Gizmodo
26 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
1800W Anker Power Station With 11 Ports Has Never Been Cheaper, Prime Day Won't See a Better Price
Whether you're planning outdoor parties, heading out on a boat or setting up camp, having reliable power is a game-changer. Among the many options available, the Anker Solix C1000 portable power station is very popular, thanks to its impressive 11 ports to charge multiple devices at once, solar panel rechargeability, and battery longevity. Currently, this huge power station is available for just $448, down from its original $799 (44% off) which makes it one of the most attractive offers in the power station market right now. At this price, you're getting a high-capacity power source that's perfect for everything from home backup to outdoor adventures. See at Amazon Will Last a Decade The core of the Anker Solix C1000 portable power station is a robust 1056Wh LiFePO4 battery, a technology known to be safe, long-lasting and reliable. In contrast to typical lithium-ion batteries, this battery will last for a decade with a maximum of 3,000 charge cycles. You can charge it every day for years and experience minimal capacity loss which makes it a long-term investment in its own right. It comes with 11 ports and can charge virtually any device you bring along. It has SurgePad technology that delivers a record-breaking peak output of 2400W (and 1800W regular output) which makes it simple to plug high-power devices and tools. This compatibility is not very frequent in portable power stations and it prepares you for anything. The range of ports like AC, USB-A, USB-C, and so on is so vast that you can charge multiple devices at a time without losing anything. With its UltraFast charging technology, you can get 80% charged in 43 minutes and a full charge in less than an hour with an AC input. If you want the greener option, the power station has capacity to accept up to 600W of solar input so that you can fully charge it in about 1.8 hours using compatible solar panels. This is a great choice for eco-conscious users and also for those who are planning longer trips off-grid. Anker app enables you to personalize charging rates, access power data in real time and quickly manage your energy use. Such control is especially useful for several individuals or for times when you have to prioritize certain devices in the event of an outage or trip. The power station itself is designed to be mobile, 15% smaller than comparable 1kWh models which makes it very easy to transport and store. It's a top choice if you're seeking reliable and portable power. Make sure you don't miss this all time low price. See at Amazon
Business Upturn
27 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
6 Best Funnel Builders for Gathering Real Intelligence
Remember when all you needed from a funnel was a name and email? Yeah, those days are over. Today, it's not about how many leads you have. It's about how much you know about them. The best marketers? They're not chasing volume. They're chasing insight. This is what I call the Intelligence Gap. It's the space between capturing a lead and actually understanding them. Most funnel builders? They're like a black box. A visitor goes in, a lead pops out. But what happened inside? Who knows. Here's what you're missing: What does this person actually need? What are they trying to solve? Why did they come to you in the first place? If your funnel builder can't answer those questions, it's not working hard enough. Let's fix that. Top 6 Best Funnel Builders These aren't just lead capture tools. These are platforms built to turn curiosity into context and clicks into conversations. 1. If you're serious about understanding your leads, start here. doesn't just capture info, it converses . It turns a funnel into a back-and-forth interaction. Like a really smart, friendly chatbot that also does math. Here's what makes it stand out: Many, many building blocks : Using the no-code editor, you can create highly interactive funnels that combine form, survey, quiz, and calculator elements : Using the no-code editor, you can create highly interactive funnels that combine form, survey, quiz, and calculator elements For any use cases: That extensive range of building blocks I've just mentioned? They are all highly customizable. This means you can create funnels for literally any use case, from multi-step appointment forms with a Calendly integration, to product finder quizzes that recommend the best product to users. That extensive range of building blocks I've just mentioned? They are all highly customizable. This means you can create funnels for literally any use case, from multi-step appointment forms with a Calendly integration, to product finder quizzes that recommend the best product to users. Win-win: You help users figure out what they need. They help you understand their budget, preferences, and intent. Behind the scenes, the tool keeps learning: Real-time personalization: With features like conditional logic, answer piping, logic jumps, and AI-generated text, your funnel adapts in real-time to answers and lead users to custom outcome pages With features like conditional logic, answer piping, logic jumps, and AI-generated text, your funnel adapts in real-time to answers and lead users to custom outcome pages Lead scoring and profiling: It collects and scores data without making users feel like they're filling out a form. And once someone converts? The intelligence keeps coming. You get real-time analytics, conversion stats, and AI-backed suggestions to improve results. Bonus: You don't need to be a developer. Start from scratch, grab one of 300+ templates, or let the AI build it for you. Oh, and it integrates with 60+ tools, from HubSpot to Salesforce. So all that smart data goes exactly where you need it. 2. HubSpot Marketing Hub Already using HubSpot? Then this one makes sense. Its funnel features are baked right into the CRM, so all that user data flows into a single contact profile. You get a crystal-clear view of the customer journey. But there's a tradeoff. It's powerful, but also pricey and a bit complex. Great if you're all-in on HubSpot. Maybe overkill if you just need a nimble front-end tool for interactive funnels. It's funnel builder is also not as powerful as more specialized tools like 3. This one's all about simplicity and value. gives you everything —funnels, email marketing, course hosting, affiliate tools—in one tidy dashboard. It's a great option for solo creators and small teams. But while it tracks lead movement nicely, it's more of a traditional funnel tool. Less focus on deep profiling, more on standard opt-in and sales flows. Good for efficiency. Not ideal if you want to dig deep into customer motivations. 4. ClickFunnels ClickFunnels is built for one thing: selling. It shines when you need to build a high-converting, transactional funnel. Think order forms, upsells, checkouts,… the whole ecommerce playbook. But it's focused on what happens at the end of the journey. It's less about who your customer is and more about whether they're buying. That's fine if you're selling straight from the funnel. But if you want to learn before you pitch, it falls short. 5. Leadpages Leadpages is clean, quick, and conversion-focused. It's great for top-of-funnel landing pages where the goal is simple: grab that email. And for that, it works well. But it doesn't do much beyond the basics. No logic jumps. No quizzes. No personalization tools. So if you want to collect more than just contact info, you'll need something more advanced. 6. Typeform Typeform is beautiful . People actually enjoy filling out the forms. It's a top-tier tool for collecting qualitative feedback. Great for surveys, research, and feedback loops. But here's the catch: it's not a funnel builder. It's a form tool. There's no full journey, no publishing flexibility, and limited integration with deeper marketing stacks. If you want insights? It delivers. If you want to build an end-to-end funnel? You'll need more than just Typeform. How to Pick a Funnel Builder That Actually Learns From Your Leads Here's what to look for when evaluating intelligence-focused funnels: Interactive elements : Can it go beyond a form? Quizzes, calculators, and assessments should come standard. : Can it go beyond a form? Quizzes, calculators, and assessments should come standard. Personalized paths : Does it adapt based on what users say? You want conditional logic, follow-up questions, and branching flows. : Does it adapt based on what users say? You want conditional logic, follow-up questions, and branching flows. Actionable analytics : Real-time dashboards are a must. Bonus points if it gives you insights , not just raw numbers. : Real-time dashboards are a must. Bonus points if it gives you , not just raw numbers. Solid integrations : If your CRM can't use the data, what's the point? Look for native integrations. : If your CRM can't use the data, what's the point? Look for native integrations. Ease of use: You shouldn't need a developer. Templates, wizards, and AI helpers make setup faster and smoother. Final Thoughts: Stop Chasing Leads, Start Understanding People A lead list is just a bunch of email addresses. A good funnel builds relationships. When you close the Intelligence Gap, you stop shouting into the void. You start listening. You learn what people want. What's holding them back. And what they need to take the next step. Platforms like are leading the charge here. They don't just help you build funnels, they help you understand who's inside them. And that's the whole point, right? Ahmedabad Plane Crash
