Privacy in 2026: Will AI further supercharge surveillance?

Rapid integration of artificial intelligence into surveillance and cybercrime is raising new privacy concerns, with experts warning of potential abuses and calling for greater protections. Experts such as Jake Laperruque and Gus Hosein state that the hasty adoption of AI in surveillance and policing may pose risks to civil liberties, with limited oversight and the possibility of expanding government monitoring. According to cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler and hacker Deth Veggie, criminals are leveraging AI for more effective social engineering and sophisticated malware, complicating efforts to defend against cyberattacks and data breaches. Experts like Laperruque and Hosein note growing bipartisan efforts to advance surveillance regulation and increased public demand for privacy, suggesting a potential turning point in how companies, governments and individuals address data protection.