FBI warns election officials about AI phishing

The FBI and CISA, the US cyber defense agency, are urging election officials and the American public to be on guard against AI-powered tricks ahead of next month's midterm elections. In an alert issued Friday, the two agencies warned that hackers may try to disrupt the midterms using bogus text messages and emails aimed at stealing passwords or other sensitive data.

The alert says election officials, candidates, and their political organizations are attractive targets for malicious cyber criminals. It does not describe a specific attack already underway, but frames the warning as preparation: AI tools are making fraudulent messages cheaper to produce and harder to spot, and the people running and contesting elections are among the most likely recipients.