- January 07, 2025
- Criminal Defense
In recent years, artificial intelligence technology has become widely accessible. Individuals can use AIs to generate audiovisual materials, develop computer code, and research topics. However, law enforcement officials have become increasingly worried that individuals may rely on artificial intelligence to commit or facilitate the commission of crimes, such as computer-based offenses like hacking or identity theft or highly complex crimes like money laundering or securities market manipulation. AI-related criminal activity can raise complex legal questions regarding the applicability of current criminal statutes or the imposition of criminal liability for offenses.
Crimes People Can Use AI to Commit
With artificial intelligence technology becoming increasingly advanced, people may use AI technology to commit various criminal offenses, such as:
- Hacking and Data Breaches – AIs may speed up breaking into encrypted computer systems and databases, allowing hackers to steal information or install ransomware on people’s and organizations’ systems.
- Phishing Schemes – Advanced AIs can facilitate phishing schemes in which victims unwittingly hand over private or confidential information like account numbers or passwords to someone posing as a legitimate party.
- Identity Theft – Generative AIs may help individuals commit identity theft crimes involving fake identity information created by an AI.
- Securities Violations – AIs may facilitate stock market manipulation through trades designed to artificially inflate or decrease stock prices.
- Money Laundering – AIs can help individuals develop more complex money laundering schemes that may make it harder for law enforcement investigators to track illicit money.
Challenges in AI-Related Crimes
The potential for AI-facilitated crimes can pose various challenges for law enforcement, prosecutors, and defendants. For example, investigators may have trouble identifying AI-facilitated crimes due to the sophistication of the technology involved and the ability of AI to offer anonymity to the people perpetrating the crime. As a result, investigators may inadvertently focus their investigations on the wrong suspects. Furthermore, given the rapid development of AI technology, law enforcement agencies may have trouble keeping up with the capabilities of AIs to facilitate new types of crimes.
Legal Implications of AI in Criminal Law
Current criminal laws may not perfectly capture the types of offenses that people can commit using artificial intelligence. As a result, prosecutors may choose to charge defendants under other statutes that may not accurately capture the nature of a defendant’s offense. The use of AIs in criminal activity can also raise questions of who could bear criminal liability for offenses, including when parties create AI systems for non-criminal purposes, but someone later uses the technology to commit crimes. As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, defendants charged with AI-related crimes may deny criminal liability by arguing that the AI, not them, committed the alleged crime.
Contact a Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
If you’ve been arrested and charged with committing a crime using AI, you deserve strong legal representation to defend your rights, freedom, and future. Contact John Freeman today for a free, confidential consultation with criminal defense attorney John Freeman to discuss your legal options for pursuing the most favorable resolution possible to your case.