Man Arrested in Japan for Creating Malware Using Generative AI

Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police have arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly creating malware using generative artificial intelligence tools available online for free.

Ryuki Hayashi from Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of unauthorized creation of electronic records.

According to the police, there have been very few cases in which police took law-enforcement action over the creation of malware through the use of generative AI technology.

Hayashi, who has admitted to the allegations, was quoted as saying that he wanted to “earn easy money” and that he thought he “could do anything” if he used AI.

Hayashi is suspected of creating the malware in March last year by combining designs of illegal malware programs obtained through the use of interactive generative AI tools.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]