The Evolution of Social Engineering: New Threats in the Age of Generative AI

This article examines the rapidly evolving landscape of social engineering threats in the age of Generative Artificial Intelligence and deepfake technologies. Traditional social engineering attacks have relied on exploiting human psychology through deception, but the integration of advanced AI capabilities has transformed these threats into significantly more sophisticated and difficult-to-detect attacks. It explores how GenAI systems can now produce highly convincing content that mimics human communication patterns, while deepfake technology enables realistic audio and video manipulation that can fool both humans and automated detection systems. The article analyzes emerging threat vectors including hyper-personalized phishing, AI-enhanced voice fraud, synthetic identity deception, multi-channel orchestrated attacks, and automated reconnaissance. These advancements have profound implications for businesses, society, and national security, necessitating a comprehensive defensive approach that combines technical countermeasures, organizational strategies, and regulatory frameworks. By documenting both the evolution of these threats and potential defensive measures, this research aims to contribute to the development of more effective protection against increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks in the digital age.