Self-replicating AI: Is your fridge a cybersecurity risk?

In the living room, a robot vacuum cleaner moves back and forth, the lights are dimmed by voice assistants, the heating is controlled via smartphone and the TV connects to the internet to access a favorite streaming service. These are all examples of the "Internet of Things," in which connected electronic devices exchange data and communicate with one another. According to recent market research by industry association Bitkom , about half of all households in Germany use such or similar "smart home" applications — and the figure is rising. Now, the artificial intelligence company Anthropic has published a report warning that AI-powered malware could soon infiltrate connected household devices, copy itself to other devices and become active there.