AI is making smart devices – watches, speakers, doorbells – easier to hack. Here’s how to stay safe

By Chao Chen, Kok-Leong Ong, Lin Li, RMIT University

From asking our smart speakers for the weather to receiving personalised advice from smartwatches, devices powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly streamlining our routines and decision making. The technology is seeping into our lives in subtle ways.

Manufacturers gather vast amounts of user data to ensure these smart devices are responsive and personalised. But this can put users at risk of exploitation by malicious agents, such as hackers looking to steal your data.

As AI becomes more ubiquitous, consumers will also need to become savvier. If you want to enjoy the benefits of a smart everyday device, you should be aware of the safeguards needed to protect you from cyberattacks.

A smarter internet of things

Once we started connecting physical everyday devices like fridges, vacuum cleaners and doorbell cameras to the internet, the Internet of Things (IoT) was born. It is now estimated there are some 17 billion IoT devices worldwide.

IoT devices that existed before AI generally have simpler, more static functionalities, resulting in lower data privacy and security risks. These devices could connect to the internet and perform specific tasks they were programmed to do, such as remotely turning off lights or setting a thermostat.

However, they couldn’t learn from user interactions or adapt their functionalities over time. Manufacturers integrate AI into IoT devices to help them “understand” and better cater to user needs and behaviours.

For example, a smart speaker might gather behavioural information by listening to conversations in its environment. This helps it to better understand user preferences and commands, adapt its responses and offer more relevant content or suggestions. Ultimately, this enhances the experience – it makes the device more useful to you.

However, it also makes it less secure. With AI now embedded into such devices, it actually opens a new collection of pathways (known as an “attack surface”) for cybercriminals. For example, hackers can use inputs that deliberately cause the AI in the device to malfunction.

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