Zahra Murad, Head of the Public Prosecution for Cybercrimes, confirmed that artificial intelligence is no longer just a technical option but a central tool in governmental and private work systems. It has become capable of simulating human thinking, making decisions, and analyzing data efficiently. She added that the relationship between AI and cybersecurity has become integrative, enhancing digital protection and proactively monitoring threats. However, the expansion of these technologies, especially “generative AI,” has also opened the door to new threats, notably “deepfake crimes,” which saw a noticeable increase in 2025.

With the rapid development of AI technologies and increasing reliance on them across various sectors, Murad emphasized the need to handle these technologies with awareness and responsibility, given the huge opportunities and growing challenges, especially in cybersecurity.

She noted that the foundational beginning of AI was between 1940 and 1950, when the U.S. Department of Defense started training computers to simulate human thinking. In 1940, the first computer dedicated to decoding military messages was invented, playing a key role in opening fields for further AI-based inventions. The official term “artificial intelligence” was announced in 1956 at Dartmouth College in the USA.

Murad explained that AI is a set of technologies enabling machines to simulate human intelligence and perform advanced functions, including understanding spoken and written language, analyzing data, providing recommendations, learning from new information, making decisions, and using logic to simulate human thinking.

She pointed out that “generative AI” is a branch of AI focused on developing models and algorithms capable of creating new data, texts, images, sounds, videos, or codes highly similar to the data they were trained on, using deep learning techniques such as generative models.

Regarding cybersecurity, Murad explained that it involves protecting networks, IT systems, operational technologies, their components, software, services, and data from unauthorized access, disruption, modification, or exploitation.

The relationship between AI and cybersecurity is mutual, offering great opportunities to enhance digital protection while also posing increasing challenges due to the use of AI in advanced attacks. AI plays a role in early detection of cyber threats by analyzing large amounts of data to identify abnormal patterns, helping to detect attacks before they occur.

Murad revealed that 179 deepfake crime reports were filed globally in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 19% increase compared to 2024. These cases include impersonation of audio and video clips to seize money, defamation, and unauthorized manipulation of images.

She also cited the World Economic Forum report highlighting that AI outputs constitute 2% of global risks. The report gathers insights from over 900 global experts to analyze environmental, societal, economic, and digital threats, aiming to support decision-makers in planning for future challenges.

Regarding AI governance, Murad mentioned it includes AI governance, digital trust, digital safety, and technological convergence.

Murad referred to the 2024 report by Oxford Insight, an organization measuring countries’ readiness in AI, officially recognized by governments and UNESCO. The report evaluated 188 countries using 40 indicators across three main pillars: government readiness in setting effective AI strategies and regulations; the technology sector supporting government work and providing innovative solutions; and the infrastructure necessary to operate AI effectively, including data availability.