Are Incompetent Humans More Dangerous Than AI?

The rise of artificial intelligence should have marked a new frontier in innovation, productivity, and security. Instead, it’s beginning to look more like the opening act of a high-tech cautionary tale. As AI advances in sophistication, it’s not ushering in utopia. It’s opening the floodgates to a new kind of threat — one that uses data, mimicry, and digital misdirection to exploit our oldest and most reliable vulnerability: ourselves.

A recent report reveals how AI is now at the center of a technological arms race in cyberspace. Deepfake technology has reached the point where criminals can manufacture photorealistic video messages of business leaders directing financial transactions. In one case, an AI-generated video impersonating a company executive was convincing enough to authorize a transfer worth 20 million British pounds. That’s not science fiction — that’s now.

Even more concerning is the rise of voice-cloning attacks, where a simple phone call — one that sounds precisely like your boss, your spouse, or your colleague — can be enough to bypass even the most diligent human gatekeepers. When the attacker sounds like someone you trust, the battle is half won before it begins.

But it doesn’t stop there. AI-powered phishing has revolutionized social engineering. Gone are the typo-laden emails from dubious overseas princes. In their place are personalized, well-structured messages tailored to your professional life, even echoing the tone and writing style of those you communicate with most often. These are not amateur-hour scams — they are precision-crafted traps engineered by intelligent machines.

Yet for all the sophistication of modern AI threats, the most common factor behind successful cyberattacks remains devastatingly low-tech. Human error continues to be the Achilles’ heel of cybersecurity. NinjaOne’s findings underscore the point with brutal clarity: over 95% of breaches are the result of user mistakes.

These mistakes run the gamut — clicking on suspicious links claiming you’ve received money, sharing social media accounts and credentials over insecure platforms, ignoring critical system updates, or misconfiguring cloud settings. The common thread is carelessness, complacency, or sheer ignorance. And while AI is making attacks harder to detect, it’s our refusal to take cybersecurity seriously that turns vulnerabilities into disasters.

At the institutional level, the situation isn’t much better. The cybersecurity staffing crisis that began during the Biden administration has only worsened in what insiders now call the “DOGE Era.” Resources meant to fight cyberthreats are stretched thin, talent is in short supply, and public-sector teams are often outmatched by the rapidly evolving threat landscape.

This isn’t about blaming a particular party or administration. It’s about recognizing that the digital world moves far faster than the government’s ability to adapt. Bureaucracy was never built for speed, and cybersecurity demands agility, foresight, and constant vigilance. That leaves the burden of defense squarely on the shoulders of private industry and individuals.

Cybersecurity is no longer the sole domain of IT departments. Every employee is now a potential attack vector. Every device connected to the internet is a potential gateway. Every careless click or sketchy app download could be the domino that topples an entire organization’s defenses.

Second, we need to invest in tools that keep pace with the threats. That includes AI-powered defense platforms that can detect behavioral anomalies, flag suspicious traffic, and automatically respond to early signs of compromise. These tools are not cheap, but the cost of inaction is exponentially higher.

Third, it’s time for leadership — public and private — to take full responsibility. This is not a challenge to be delegated. CEOs, school superintendents, hospital administrators — all must understand the threat landscape and prioritize cyber resilience. The health of our digital infrastructure depends on informed leadership making serious investments in protection.

And finally, we need personal accountability. Every one of us must adopt better digital hygiene. That means using strong, unique passwords. Enabling multi-factor authentication. Staying updated on software patches. Learning how to spot phishing attempts. And yes, thinking twice before clicking.

AI isn’t inherently evil. It is a tool — one that can be used for defense just as it can be used for deception. But right now, the bad actors are using it more effectively than we are. They’re not inventing new exploits; they’re just capitalizing on human laziness and lack of regulatory oversight.

The machines aren’t coming for us with laser beams and killer drones. They’re coming through emails, phone calls, and login portals. And the only way they succeed is if we let them. If we don’t wake up, educate ourselves, and strengthen our defenses, we may find that the age of AI didn’t end civilization with a bang — but with a single click.

The apocalypse won’t be automated. It’ll be human-assisted.

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Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, cybersecurity researcher, founder of ItFunk.Org, and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity and politics, is regularly published by many of the largest news organizations in the world.

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Featured Image: PickPik

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See Original Article here

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More articles edited or written and/or posted by Roger Landry (TLB)