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Scientists find way to supercharge dangerous computer ‘worm’ with AI

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Nicolas Papernot (right), a professor at the University of Toronto, led a team that demonstrated a way of building a dangerous computer ‘worm’ using artificial intelligence.

Nicolas Papernot (right), a professor at the University of Toronto, led a team that demonstrated a way of building a dangerous computer ‘worm’ using artificial intelligence.

PHOTOS: BRENDAN GEORGE KO/NYTIMES

Cade Metz

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SAN FRANCISCO – Researchers at the University of Toronto say they have found a way to use artificial intelligence to create a dangerous computer “worm” capable of targeting any known flaw in the world’s computers and quickly spreading mayhem throughout the internet.

The computer scientists said in a paper published at night on June 2 that this program could be built and that a prototype they had created spread across a test network with no human intervention.

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