AI is transforming crime, too
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.1 • 5.3K Ratings
🗓️ 26 November 2025
⏱️ 10 minutes
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Summary
By the midpoint of 2025, the U.S. was on track to set a new yearly record in the number of reported data breaches.
That’s according to data compiled by the Identity Theft Resource Center.
One reason is the proliferation of artificial intelligence, which has made the work of criminal hackers easier, cheaper and scalable.
What does that mean for the rest of us?
Cooper Katz McKim dove deep into the world of AI-supercharged crime for NPR’s daily economics podcast The Indicator, and introduces us to what he’s found.
Listen to the Indicator’s Vice Week
What’s supercharging data breaches?
When cartels start to diversify
How AI might mess with financial markets
Scam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimes
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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Kate Concannon and Patrick Jarenwattananon. It features additional reporting by Darien Woods. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Okay, the story we're about to hear touches on the criminal dark web, cutting edge technology and the global economy. |
| 0:07.5 | But it begins somewhere more personal. |
| 0:10.4 | Like anything, you know, it starts with my own anxiety. |
| 0:14.0 | That is Cooper Katz McKim, a producer for the indicator from Planet Money and PR's daily economics podcast. |
| 0:20.4 | There was this week-long period where I was opening up the news every day, |
| 0:24.1 | and there would just be some other data breach that was at the bottom. |
| 0:28.4 | And it freaked me out. |
| 0:30.5 | It freaked him out, and he wanted to know, is this my imagination? |
| 0:34.3 | Or is this problem getting worse? |
| 0:36.7 | And when he dug into it, he found... |
| 0:38.9 | The U.S. is on track for a record year in data breaches, which a quick spin through NPR's |
| 0:44.1 | newscast confirms. Cyber hackers have accessed the personal data of most of the 1.4 million |
| 0:50.9 | customers of Alliance life. The Congressional Budget Office says it's been hit by a cyber attack, partially disclosing government data to foreign-N-A. The company store, Herodz. Cryptocurrency giant, Coinbase, says... The app T recently... I tried making a list at one point, and it just got unwieldy. The hacked images were posted to the fringe, right-wing message board, 4chan. I mean, it's not just big businesses, though. |
| 1:11.6 | The city of St. Paul in Minnesota is still recovering from a ransomware attack that took place |
| 1:17.0 | to local governments, it's schools, it's hospitals, it's government entities. |
| 1:19.9 | So Cooper started looking into what is supercharging these hackers. |
| 1:24.0 | And it turns out one big answer is artificial intelligence. They're faster, |
| 1:28.9 | they're more opaque, and they're more autonomous than ever. Consider this, AI has made cybercriminals |
| 1:36.3 | work easier, cheaper, and scalable. What does that mean from the rest of us? |
| 1:45.0 | From NPR, I'm Elsa Chang. |
| 1:51.0 | It's consider this from NPR. |
| 1:57.0 | Cooper Katz McKim's question was, |
... |
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