The UN cybercrime treaty and AI: Navigating the intersection of technology and global policy

The rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has fundamentally transformed cybersecurity, posing significant challenges to existing legal frameworks.This research assesses the adequacy of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (we refer to as the UN Cybercrime Treaty) in addressing AI-enabled cyber threats by analyzing over 70 documented incidents from 2023 to 2025.By mapping the complex interactions between advanced AI technologies and the treaty's provisions, the research exposes critical regulatory gaps across different incident types.Key findings show how the treaty's effectiveness varies across different types of AI-related crimes.This highlights the need for governance strategies that are both flexible and easy to apply across disciplines.In addition, the study reveals AI as more than a tool-an autonomous actor capable of generating sophisticated cyberattacks that challenge traditional concepts of criminal intent.Ultimately, the research contributes to ongoing discussions on technological governance by providing recommendations tailored to the evolving landscape of AI-related cybercrime.