Cybercriminals are exploiting the growing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to target small and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), with malware attacks disguised as AI services rising nearly five times in 2026, according to a new report by Kaspersky, a cybersecurity firm.
The report revealed that between January and April 2026, Kaspersky detected more than 33,300 attacks targeting small and medium-sized Businesses where malicious or unwanted computer software was disguised as popular AI applications. This represents a sharp increase compared with the same period in 2025.
As businesses integrate AI tools into daily operations for productivity, automation, and content creation, cybercriminals are also using the trust around these platforms to trick employees into downloading harmful software.
Kaspersky found that the most common AI brands used as disguises in these attacks included ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek. Fake versions of these tools were used as bait to deliver malware to business devices.
The cybersecurity company stated that many of the detected threats were Trojan-based malware, which often appear as legitimate applications but can secretly steal data, modify files, or install additional malicious programs once they gain access to a device.
