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Key developments: Researchers tracking nearly 4,000 posts across Telegram channels, dark‑web forums and specialized markets found a sharp rise in AI‑related offerings for hackers, jumping from under 50 ads per month in late 2025 to more than 1,400 by February 2026. The catalog now includes cheap access to ChatGPT Plus accounts for as little as 10 ¢, jailbreak prompts for 32 ¢, stolen AI services, identity‑fraud kits and AI‑augmented malware such as WormGPT.
Why it matters: By cheapening and automating parts of an attack—phishing content generation, code obfuscation, credential stuffing—AI lowers the barrier for low‑skill actors to launch sophisticated campaigns, expanding the pool of threat actors and the volume of attacks. While the tools are not yet fully autonomous, their availability accelerates existing attack workflows and increases financial loss potential.
What to watch next: Analysts note that fully autonomous AI attack platforms have not been observed for sale, but the rapid commercialization suggests future development. Monitoring for new AI‑powered exploit kits, pricing trends, and the emergence of storefronts on platforms like Telegram will be crucial to anticipate the next escalation in cybercrime capabilities. [[1]]