As reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun, a 25-year-old Japanese man was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for four years, by the Tokyo District Court for abusing generative AI to create a computer virus. This marks the first case in Japan where misuse of generative AI has led to a criminal conviction.
According to the judgment and other documents, the man used a computer and smartphone to create a ransomware-like computer virus based on malicious program design diagrams (source code) obtained through generative AI. Additionally, he impersonated others to defraud mobile communication cards and other items.
Image Source Note: The image was generated by AI, provided by the image licensing service Midjourney
The court revealed a reality — even without IT expertise, one can use generative AI to create viruses. The defendant, using an "unofficial version of ChatGPT," created source code for a program that encrypts specific files and renders them unusable, as well as demanding payment in cryptocurrency "Bitcoin."
Yoshikawa Takashi, a senior malware analyst at security company Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions, stated that generative AI is set with restrictions against providing illegal information, but there are methods online to circumvent these restrictions. The defendant also admitted during the interrogation that he "searched for and used methods to lift the restrictions."
Yoshikawa pointed out: "When generative AI is maliciously exploited, even those without knowledge can obtain information that could be used for crime," and called for urgent measures to prevent abuse.
