AI/ML AI chatbots outperform humans in building trust for scams July 31, 2026 Share By SC Staff Artificial intelligence chatbots are now capable of impersonating humans and building trust effectively, potentially revolutionizing the scam industry. A recent study indicates that AI can even surpass human scammers in the crucial relationship-building phase of "pig butchering" scams, according to a recent report by Ars Technica. Researchers from four universities conducted a study pitting AI chatbots against human scammers in a simulation of "pig butchering" scams, a form of romance scam that escalates to fake cryptocurrency investments. The AI chatbots demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in the initial, lengthy trust-building stages, with test subjects reporting higher levels of trust in the AI than in human scammers. In the experiment, nearly half of the subjects complied with a request from the AI chatbot to download an app, compared to fewer than one in five who complied with a similar request from a human scammer. This suggests AI could autonomously handle a significant portion of scam operations, potentially replacing human labor, including victims of human trafficking. While current safeguards aim to prevent AI misuse, the study highlights the evolving capabilities of AI in deception and the challenges in detecting and combating AI-driven fraud. Source: Ars Technica An In-Depth Guide to AI Get essential knowledge and practical strategies to use AI to better your security program. Learn More SC Staff Related AI/ML Sysadmin AI adoption lags behind 2024 predictions SC Staff July 30, 2026 The Action1 2026 Survey Report highlights significant gaps between 2024 predictions and 2026 reality for AI adoption in IT workflows. AI benefits/risks Why we need to build AI into our network appliances Paul Asadoorian July 30, 2026 Attackers continue to leverage AI to target our edge appliances – so why hasn’t the industry built-in AI into those devices yet? AI/ML The best defense against an AI attacker might be its own safety training Harshad Sadashiv Kadam July 30, 2026 Decoys may be the best defense against fast-moving autonomous AI attacks. Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe You can skip this ad in 5 seconds