Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing industries, streamlining processes, and enabling new possibilities—but it’s not all good news. Did you know that over 3,000 explicit AI-generated ads bypassed moderation on social media last year? This is just one example of AI misuse raising alarms worldwide. While AI can transform industries for the better, its misuse highlights critical gaps in regulation, ethics, and oversight.

These issues often stem from a combination of factors:

1. Profit Over Responsibility: Many companies prioritize financial gains over ethical considerations, leading to lax moderation or oversight.
2. Lack of Regulation: The rapid pace of AI development often outpaces the creation of policies. This makes it difficult to govern its use. This leaves gaps that bad actors can exploit.
3. Open-Source Vulnerabilities: While open-source AI encourages innovation, it also allows malicious actors to misuse tools for harmful purposes.
4. Ineffective Safeguards: Many AI systems are not adequately tested against potential misuse, making them susceptible to exploitation.

Understanding these root causes is essential to addressing the broader challenges posed by AI misuse. Equally important is identifying actionable steps to protect against these issues and repair what has gone wrong.

What Can Be Done to Fix the Problem?

Addressing the challenges of AI misuse requires coordinated efforts from multiple stakeholders. In situations described later in this blog post, each entity must react on their own. They must also have open communication with other stakeholders. This ensures everyone knows what is being done and how they can support efforts to stop further issues.

Developers

Companies and their developers must prioritize ethical practices throughout the lifecycle of AI systems. Building ethical AI from the start means incorporating safeguards during development. It involves preventing misuse. This includes robust moderation systems and clear restrictions against harmful outputs. Security testing should also be a priority. They must conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify and address weaknesses. These include susceptibility to prompt engineering exploits.

Transparency also plays a crucial role. Companies should openly share how their AI systems function. They should include information on limitations, data sources, and decision-making processes. This approach fosters trust and accountability. Finally, collaboration with regulators is vital to shape policies that balance innovation with safety and ensure compliance with emerging regulations.

Governments

Governments and regulators play a critical role in mitigating AI misuse. Enforcing accountability through laws and policies is essential to hold companies responsible for harmful AI applications. This includes imposing penalties for negligence or willful misuse. Given the global nature of AI, promoting international cooperation can help standardize regulations and share best practices across borders.

Funding ethical AI research is crucial. It supports initiatives focused on creating safe AI systems. These systems are inclusive and responsible. Additionally, ensuring that AI tools respect user privacy is essential. Compliance with data protection laws like GDPR or CCPA protects individuals from undue harm.

Individuals

Individuals also have a role to play in combating AI misuse. Staying educated about the potential risks of AI tools and learning to identify unethical practices is a powerful first step. Support ethical brands by choosing AI applications from companies with a proven commitment to responsible practices. This choice can drive market demand for better standards.

Reporting misconduct to platforms or regulatory bodies helps bring harmful AI behavior to light. This must be a two-way street. Most individuals will see an issue but do not know where to report it. Governing agencies need to make it clear what they do and how people can reach out to them. Lastly, join or support organizations that advocate for responsible AI development and regulation. This action contributes to a safer AI ecosystem.

Examples of Bots Behaving Badly

Now that we have explored the causes of AI misuse, let’s delve into some of the most concerning real-world examples. Unfortunately, these situations are starting to happen more frequently. By seeing these examples you will have a better idea of what to look for in your own life.

1. The Meta Ad Mishap: Explicit Content Pay-to-Play

Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram, permitted over 3,000 sexually explicit AI-generated ads. These ads circulated on its platforms last year. While their content moderation systems effectively filtered out similar organic posts, paid ads managed to bypass these checks. The implication? If you can pay, you can play—no matter how harmful or inappropriate the content may be.

The issue lies in Meta’s ad moderation system. Unlike organic posts, which are subject to stricter scrutiny, paid ads seem to benefit from looser checks. This prioritization of revenue over responsibility undermines user trust. It also raises questions about how much harmful content may be slipping through undetected.

The use of AI is a good way to ensure that massive amounts of content are reviewed. However, in this case, the focus should have been on fairness in the development stage. I understand that companies must make money to stay in business. But they also have a responsibility to protect their users. Luckily, Meta stepped in and fixed this loophole in the systems coding rather quickly.

2. AI Finance Apps Preying on the Vulnerable

AI-powered finance apps like Cleo AI and Bright claim to help users manage money. Instead, they prey on financially vulnerable individuals. These apps target young people living paycheck-to-paycheck. They use aggressive chatbot marketing to push high-interest loans and cash advances. Often, this leads users into a cycle of debt.

A user shared their experience with Cleo AI. They mentioned that after signing up for budgeting tips, the app bombarded them with offers for cash advances. These offers came at steep interest rates. What began as a tool for financial management turned into a trap of escalating fees. Statistics indicate that many such users face higher financial instability as a result of these practices.

In this case, we have company greed being coded into an AI generation system. It does make sense that a person who is living paycheck to paycheck needs to increase the cash available. However, the system needs to recognize that this is an income issue. It is not just a lack of funds issue. Individuals need to speak up when they see this happening. Companies need to collaborate with users. They must find and correct system errors for the users’ best interest. This effort should not focus solely on the companies’ bottom line.

If the company does not prioritize changes for their users’ benefit, then the government must step in. The government should intervene. They should create enforceable regulations. This regulation will either fix the issue at the business level or protect the individual if the business is unwilling. Notice though that I have said enforceable. We have too many politicians who pass policies to look good. They do not consider how their policy will be enacted.

3. Runway’s AI Video Tools and Masked Violence

Runway’s AI video editing tools have been celebrated for their creative capabilities but are now being misused. Users are modifying graphic violent content to resemble animated films, enabling such videos to evade detection on social media platforms.

This trend makes it increasingly difficult for content moderation systems to distinguish harmful material from creative content. As a result, audiences—including children—may be inadvertently exposed to dangerous material. A recent survey on AI content moderation found that nearly 30% of flagged content goes undetected due to such manipulations.

4. OnionGPT: The Dark Web’s Dangerous AI Assistant

An uncensored chatbot called OnionGPT has emerged on the dark web, providing instructions for illegal and dangerous activities. Unlike mainstream AI models, OnionGPT is deliberately designed without ethical guardrails, enabling bad actors to access forbidden knowledge.

Open-source AI development is a double-edged sword. While it fosters innovation and accessibility, it also allows malicious actors to build tools like OnionGPT. This underscores the urgent need for balanced policies that encourage innovation while mitigating risks.

5. AI Surveillance at Airports: No Transparency, No Accountability

Airports are secretly using AI-powered systems to flag travelers as “suspicious” based on flight data. The troubling part? These systems operate without transparency, leaving flagged travelers unaware of their status or unable to contest it.

This type of surveillance raises significant ethical questions. There is potential bias and discrimination in the algorithms. There are also concerns about what happens to the flagged data and who has access to it. A privacy advocacy group recently reported that over 70% of travelers flagged by such systems had no prior criminal records.

6. Microsoft’s GenAI Tools: Hacked by Simple Prompts

Since 2021, Microsoft has tested over 100 generative AI tools, finding that most could be “hacked” using simple prompt engineering. Instead of requiring complex technical skills, hackers can manipulate these systems with cleverly worded inputs to bypass safeguards.

A recent study showed that a generative AI model, which was designed to prevent harmful outputs, could be tricked. It generated step-by-step instructions for creating dangerous substances. This occurred through subtle prompt adjustments. This vulnerability highlights the importance of regular testing and robust guardrails.

What You Can Do as a Reader

These stories are a wake-up call to the risks of unregulated AI. While developers and governments play a critical role in addressing these issues, individuals can also make a difference:

Stay informed by keeping up with the latest developments in AI and advocating for ethical practices. Report issues to alert platforms and regulators to harmful AI behavior. Use ethical tools by choosing AI applications that prioritize user safety and transparency. Finally, ask yourself: What role can I play in fostering a safer AI future?

A Glimmer of Hope: Ethical AI Development

Despite the dark side of AI, many organizations are working tirelessly to create ethical and beneficial AI systems. Companies like OpenAI and academic institutions worldwide are developing frameworks to ensure AI benefits humanity rather than harming it. Research initiatives focusing on AI ethics and inclusivity are gaining traction globally.

By supporting these efforts and holding developers accountable, we can shape a future where AI serves the greater good.