Robots could mimic writing styles and habits of millions of people to launch devastating scams, cyber security experts have warned.

Hackers could use AI programmes to impersonate individuals after malicious software harvests records and emails from their computers.

Such a scam could 'explode' as colleagues and contacts are tricked into opening files and infecting their own systems.

A House of Lords committee has also been told that criminal gangs could deploy AI to sift masses of material collected from hacked devices such as smart TVs at companies - and work out what can intelligence can be used to make money.

The potential for organised gangs to 'scale up' their activities using developments in artificial intelligence was spelled out in evidence to peers by Cambridge-based cyber security experts Darktrace

The potential for organised gangs to 'scale up' their activities using developments in artificial intelligence was spelled out in evidence to peers by respected Cambridge-based cyber security experts Darktrace.

The written submission to the AI Committee, which is investigation the potential threat from the fast-shifting technology, says there are huge opportunities for motivated groups to 'pursue new models of criminality'.

'Imagine a piece of malicious software on your laptop that can read your calendar, emails, messages etc,' it said.

'Now imagine that it has AI that can understand all of that material and can train itself on how you differently communicate with different people.

'It could then contextually contact your co-workers and customers replicating your individual communication style with each of them to spread itself.

'Maybe you have a diary appointment with someone and it sends them a map reminding them where to go, and hidden in that map is a copy of malicious software.

'Perhaps you are editing a document back and forth with another colleague, the software can reply whilst making a tiny edit, and again include the malicious software.

'Will your colleagues open those emails? Absolutely. Because they will sound like they are from you and be contextually relevant.

HOW AN 'EXPLOSIVE' AI IMPERSONATION ATTACK COULD SPREAD A piece of malicious software is placed on your laptop or computer. It accesses records such as calendar, emails and messages, and passes the details to an Artificial Intelligence program. That software process the mass of information and replicates the way you communicate with specific individuals. It then impersonates you to trick work colleagues and contacts into infecting their systems. 'Now imagine that it has AI that can understand all of that material and can train itself on how you differently communicate with different people. 'It could then contextually contact your co-workers and customers replicating your individual communication style with each of them to spread itself. Dave Palmer, director of technology at Darktrace, said: 'Whether you have a formal relationship, informal, discuss football or the Great British Bake Off, all of this can be learnt and replicated. 'Such an attack is likely to explode across supply chains. Want to go after a hard target like an individual in a bank or a specific individual in public life? This may be the best way.' Advertisement

'Whether you have a formal relationship, informal, discuss football or the Great British Bake Off, all of this can be learnt and replicated.

'Such an attack is likely to explode across supply chains. Want to go after a hard target like an individual in a bank or a specific individual in public life? This may be the best way.'

The submission by Dave Palmer, Director of Technology at Darktrace, gives a second example of an attack on smart TVs and video conferencing systems at a firm, pointing out that such devices are typically more vulnerable than conventional computers.

Mr Palmer said the criminals could 'activate the microphones and stream the audio of all meetings held, to an AI driven translation and transcription service (already available from Google and Amazon)'.

'Given transcripts of all meetings an additional simple AI model could automatically alert the criminal to topics of interest (perhaps unannounced Mergers & Acquisitions, or the details of preparations for a particular trial) and suddenly the criminal has easily scalable approaches for ambient surveillance of a company without having to actually listen to any meetings themselves,' Mr Palmer said.

Mr Palmer said up to now ambient surveillance had been the 'stuff of spies' because it did not 'scale very well' and required huge human effort to sift material.

'AI completely changes that whilst we as an economy are busily engaged in the sprinkling of our environments with cameras and mics,' the submission warned.

Darktrace said it was 'somewhat surprising' neither of those types of attacks had happened so far.

'AI is absolutely democratised to anyone with a laptop and an internet connection. A motivated 'hobbyist' software programmer could almost certainly start from no understanding of AI, to deliver the types of attack described in the first and second examples above within 6-12 months,' Mr Palmer said.

'A more focused criminal would be able to achieve this sooner and it is somewhat surprising this hasn't happened already.'

The Lords AI Committee has been investigating the potential threat from developments in the controversial technology

In the future, Darktrace fears that AI could be used to alter crucial data to sabotage the operations of companies.

It suggested an oil and gas firm could be tricked into bidding for drilling and mining rights in a 'wrong and not profitable location'.

There is also the danger that bank account balances could be 'subtly and consistently tweaked' so that when they try to file accounts at the end of the year they are 'inexplicable' and result in a 'major loss of consumer confidence'.

'Such attacks are more elaborate and would rely on smart software that was able to manipulate data in a manner that is believable at first glance but that becomes disruptive at scale. It's not unreasonable to believe this is achievable in the next 10 years,' the submission said.