For the first time, the Global Group has deployed chatbots to communicate directly with its victims. According to Axios, the AI system analyses encrypted sample files, verifies successful encryption, and then automatically initiates ransom demands.
Automated until critical escalation
Human involvement is only necessary if a situation escalates or becomes more complex. This automated communication allows for round-the-clock concurrent negotiations with multiple affected parties, unlocking a high degree of scalability.
Multilingual adaptability and psychological pressure
According to Cybersecuritynews, the chatbot can tailor the language, tone, and frequency of messages based on a victim’s profile to heighten psychological pressure. Coupled with conventional extortion tactics, the automated system is designed to unsettle targets and force them to pay up quickly.
Ransomware as a service enhanced by AI
The Global Group platform has been active since June 2025. Picus Security believes the organisation has established a ransomware-as-a-service model, providing infrastructure, encryption tools and chatbots, whilst its affiliates handle the task of infecting target systems. A mobile dashboard allows operatives to manage and monitor ongoing attacks. Axios reports that at least 17 companies across the US, the UK, Australia and Brazil have been compromised.
Challenge for IT security professionals
The adoption of AI by threat actors signals a paradigm shift: Artificial intelligence is no longer just a defensive tool. IT security professionals now face the challenge of swiftly identifying automated communication patterns and responding with their own AI-enabled tools. This development highlights how dynamic and technologically complex today’s threat landscape has become.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, I moved from Singapore to
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