The Dark Side of AI Coding: How AI-Generated Code is Opening Doors to Cyberattacks

According to new findings from OX Security, coding with the help of AI can make you vulnerable to hacking and can involve various security concerns. OpenAI has funded an AI coding platform called Cursor which is making coding easier for many beginners as well as expert developers but these platforms can also create vulnerabilities in your codes. Many developers, especially beginners, unintentionally leave insecure codes in their apps and web applications which can increase the risk of cyberattacks. As AI doesn't fully understand how to make coding secure, it can lead to issues like injection flaws, insecure authentication, and improper access control.

Now the question is how is AI writing vulnerable codes and the first issue that arose with Cursor generating a vulnerable code that compromised the security. A security researcher at OX Security, Tomer Katzir Katz, wanted to test whether Cursor could identify and prevent any vulnerabilities in coding that could be dangerous. So he gave Cursor a task to generate a Python server with known vulnerability and the results proved that Cursor failed to not only secure the code but also produced a dangerous code as well. It created a reflected XSS (cross-site scripting) vulnerability without sanitizing it and this could open the doors for hackers to inject their malicious scripts to deface the site or steal sensitive user data.

Then Cursor was asked to create a minimalistic payment API and it again failed in terms of security. There were serious flaws in the code generated by Cursor like no input validation, no encryption, and no authentication checks. This could prove to be extremely dangerous for beginners or developers who generate codes in a rush and this could lead to data breaches and injection attacks because there is no proper security measure in these codes. When Cursor was asked to ignore security best practices to create an upload and hosting server, Cursor easily made the code for it without any hesitation. Even though it gave the warning that ignoring security warnings is not recommended, it still proceeded with the request and generated an unprotected file upload server. When Katz uploaded a malicious PHP reverse shell, the AI-generated server didn't put up any defenses and Katz could immediately gain full access to the server.

The researchers gave another test to Cursor and asked it to create a very simple wiki server without mentioning anything related to security. Cursor generated exactly what was asked but there were still no basic security measures and the wiki server could store user-submitted content without any sanitization and the system was left vulnerable to XSS attacks. The final test was done to see how Cursor handled open-source-licensed and copyrighted material. Cursor was given a snippet and description from the Chess project and was asked to rewrite or improve it. The Cursor generated almost the original code with only some slight modifications and didn't mention the original author or license. This just means that Cursor users should be cautious and shouldn't blindly trust AI-generated content entirely and should quality-test the AI-generated code so any vulnerabilities couldn't be missed.

Image: Anthony Riera / Unsplash

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• The Smartest CEOs in 2025: What It Takes to Be on Top
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

The Smartest CEOs in 2025: What It Takes to Be on Top

People often wonder what it takes to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Of course, these CEOs need to be smart, and many boast an Ivy League education and other post-graduate degrees. Others, such as Mark Zuckerberg, manage to drop out of school and still become the CEO of Meta, one of the most celebrated American tech companies.

So clearly, most CEOs have other characteristics that go far beyond a diploma. According to a study by Preply that analyzed the dialogue of over 100 American CEOs, top CEOs are leaders who can communicate with their stakeholders, employees, and consumers. Without being able to emotionally connect with people and focus on their customers, these CEOs would never have made it to the top.

The Most Intelligent CEOs

Managing massive businesses requires a specific skill set. For many of these companies, intelligence is an important aspect of being a leader, and the best leaders are those who can communicate that intelligence through their use of language. To measure this, a study done by Preply analyzed the language used by men and women at the forefront of their industries. Researchers looked for indicators like sentence sophistication and critical thinking skills to make their judgments.

Coming in first is Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, followed by Jim Taiclet of Lockheed Martin and Demis Hassabis of DeepMind. These three CEOs scored the highest out of 25 CEOs, meaning that they tend to communicate intelligently. Whether it’s through the clarity of their sentences or the specific word choices they make, these CEOs have what it takes to communicate their vision to their company and employees, leading their business to success.

Name (Company)	Score
Jensen Huang (NVIDIA)	81.25
Jim Taiclet (Lockheed Martin)	80.87
Demis Hassabis (DeepMind)	80.77
Vincent Roche (Analog Devices)	80.6
Matt Murphy (Marvell Technology Group)	78.43
Reed Hastings (Netflix)	77.33
Joseph Dominguez (Constellation Energy)	76.7
Stephen A. Schwarzman (Blackstone Group)	76.37
Robert B. Ford (Abbott Laboratories)	76.1
Marc Andreessen (Andreessen Horowitz)	75.5
Patrick Collison (Stripe)	75.43
Sam Altman (OpenAI)	75.17
Shantanu Narayen (Adobe)	75.17
Robert A. Bradway (Amgen)	74.37
Jamie Dimon (JPMorgan Chase)	74.25
Satya Nadella (Microsoft)	74.17
Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron Technology)	74
Elon Musk (Tesla)	73.83
Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway)	73.83
Daniel O'Day (Gilead Sciences)	73.5
Arvind Krishna (IBM)	73.5
Reshma Kewalramani (Vertex Pharmaceuticals)	73.27
Greg Peters (Netflix)	73.2
Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn, Greylock Partners)	73.17
Dario Amodei (Anthropic)	73
Bob Iger (Walt Disney)	73
Henry R. Kravis (KKR & Co.)	72.83
Tim Cook (Apple)	72.67
Kevin Murphy (Publix)	72.5
Sundar Pichai (Alphabet, Google)	72.43

Over half of the CEOs analyzed belong to the technology or financial industry. As technology advances, CEOs of companies in the tech industry must be able to adapt to the evolution of their teams’ needs and customers’ demands to progress and effectively convey their vision. Likewise, those in the financial sector must be able to clearly communicate with both employees and customers. It seems leaders in these industries have made effective communication a priority, resulting in their success in both this study and the real world.

The Advantage of Emotional Intelligence

While it certainly takes brains to lead a company along the likes of JP Morgan Chase or Meta, clear and effective communication alone is not a silver bullet to success. The type of communication leaders utilize is key, especially in terms of how leaders are connecting with their employees and customers. This requires adaptable communication and a good degree of self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

By using “I” when talking about emotions or thoughts, people exude a greater degree of emotional intelligence, and after looking at the amount of times these CEOs made “I” statements, the top spots for this category were Bill McDermott of ServiceNow, Brian Sikes of Cargill, and Carol B. Tome of UPS.

Using “I” statements doesn’t just convey emotional intelligence. These statements also reflect ownership and initiative. By using “I” statements, CEOs can take the lead, assuming responsibility and accountability, which are important traits when leading a company.

Once again, the financial sector has an overwhelming majority of companies ranked in the emotional intelligence category. It should come as no surprise that this industry embraces emotional intelligence, as leaders in finance rely on effective communication to emotionally connect with people and establish trusting relationships. When navigating complex changes in financial markets, financial teams need to feel supported when making tough decisions, so emotional intelligence helps CEOs lead and build successful teams.

Creating Cohesive Teams and Positive Customer Relationships

When it comes to team-focused dialogue, CEOs who use the word “we” the most in sentences, the top three CEOs in this category were Christopher Calio of Raytheon Technologies, followed by Brian Niccol of Starbucks and Ramon Laguarta of Pepsico. By using the word “we’, these leaders create a collaborative atmosphere and make the success of their company a team effort.

By far, the most common companies in this category are those focused on retail service. Entities such as Starbucks, Walmart, and McDonald’s consistently rely on working relationships with their customers to retain and increase business. By creating a team culture within their respective stores, they can boost employee retention through engagement and create a blueprint for how employees interact positively with customers.

After all, customers are the cornerstone of business success. The tech and finance CEOs who focus on their customers the most through their frequent customer-focused dialogue were Andy Jassy of Amazon, Sasan Goodarzi of Intuit, and Tricia Griffith of Progressive.

Leading in Today’s Digitized World

Effective communication isn’t just a tool for leadership, it’s a necessary component for CEOs to compete with others in their field. No matter what their IQ score is or what Ivy League school they attended, having effective communication skills is key to success in all industries. CEOs have to be able to convey their vision to stakeholders, employees, and customers.

Leading in today’s digital world means communicating in a way that reaches and impacts your audience, whether it’s the suits in the boardroom, your in-house team, or customers. So company leaders have to adapt to the usage of advanced technology. For example, the long 60-second commercials will no longer resonate with audiences, as attention spans have gotten shorter with apps like TikTok and Instagram.

Print ads also lack the effectiveness they once had, as people pay less attention to newspapers and magazines. Even billboards can blend together as each tries to outdo the other with keywords and colors. To combat this, companies must adapt and learn how to convey their mission effectively to their teams so they can create innovative solutions that continue to attract consumers.

People have changed the way they communicate within our digital world, and companies must do the same. CEOs can start to tackle communicating with stakeholders and consumers by promoting clear communication first within their own company. With the right blend of intelligence, emotional adaptability, and team-focused speech within their dialogue, business leaders can take their companies to new heights.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Microsoft Updates Copilot With Exciting New Features That Are More in Line with Alternatives like ChatGPT and Claude

Microsoft is proving to the tech world that it’s not taking a back seat as the AI race heats up.

The company just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and that meant a lot of things to look forward to. This includes big plans to host different features that bring it in line with ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. The popular AI assistant will now show support for offerings like customization, deep research, memory, podcast, and camera analysis.

Other than that, the latest Memory variant can keep track of different preferences, the user’s personal details like birthdays, interests, and even advice on how to make it all the more proactive. As per Microsoft, it can even select which data it wants Copilot to recall or opt out as a whole.

The matter is a huge part of the current efforts to transform the assistant into something more personal. As per the software giant, it’s still in the early process of thinking and evaluating. But once that phase is over, it does hope to give a more personalized touch and entail options such as the return of Clippy.

Copilot is more than a simple AI. Every individual gets the chance to uniquely style and blend different attributes that suit every individual separately. So it’s not really just limited to making the AI chatbot more personal to your likes, but also giving it more power.

There’s a new Actions feature that provides AI the chance to roll out tasks through web browsers, similar to how the Operator agent works. We’ve similarly seen Amazon’s newest Nova Act model do the same.

Microsoft shared how that might be used for show ticket bookings, reservations at restaurants, and purchasing products. When you combine this with shopping features, you’ll see Copilot products appear and now can find more sales and discounts.

Copilot Vision first started with the launch of a unique web tool that we found in the year 2004. It’s now undergone a serious expansion to reach Windows and mobile platforms. Through this, the Copilot can see what’s visible on screens across various other platforms and files. In this manner, you can answer queries or interact with content and material at the same time. iOS and Android say that it could discuss anything visible from a phone camera or images seen on camera rolls.

Deep Research shared how Copilot could analyze big documents or sources from the internet for giant projects. The research abilities are getting combined with Bing to power AI replies inside a search engine.

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Similar to how other AI offerings work today, this new Copilot could also use studies to produce podcast-themed audio to look for different topics. Meanwhile, the latest Pages feature will allow it to plan notes and research for various documents into a single file.

The software giant says that most of the latest features are launching today in ‘initial files’ and will get even better with time. So we’ll keep an eye on this in the next few weeks and months. The availability varies by feature, the market, and even the app. None of these would be a first, as we’ve seen ChatGPT include memory features in the past year. Then Google Gemini rolled out a vision mode, and now every tech giant wants to make its own personalized AI agent.

Remember, ChatGPT first included memory features in the past year, and then we saw Google Gemini roll out vision modes. After that, every AI firm wished to design more personalized AI agents, but included them altogether. This proves how Microsoft is keen on keeping up with other archrivals in the industry. This is also proof that it wants to get the best returns from its investments done inside OpenAI.



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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Study Reveals ChatGPT’s Cognitive Shortcuts and Biases, Questioning AI’s Trustworthiness in Critical Decisions

According to a new study published in the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management journal, ChatGPT’s decision-making process is similar to humans and mirrors their cognitive shortcuts, thought patterns, and blind spots. There have always been talks about how ChatGPT can make better decisions than humans but this new study shows that ChatGPT can make decision-making mistakes just like humans. This is consistent through different situations but can change according to the models.

For the study, the researchers tested ChatGPT with 18 different bias scenarios to know how it approaches different situations. The results of the study revealed that ChatGPT showed biases like ambiguity, overconfidence, conjunction fallacy, and aversion in about half of the tests. It was also found that AI is good at performing tasks that include logic and maths but it couldn't perform well when it comes to subjective reasoning or judgement. Even though the GPT-4 mark is more accurate in analytical tasks as compared to other versions, it still showed strong biases in some judgment-based decisions.

AI is being used in almost all areas of life so this study asks the question of whether AI is still reliable if it is making bad decisions just like humans. The lead author of the study says that AI learns from humans so it is natural for it to mimic them and make judgment calls similar to humans. The study also found that ChatGPT tends to overestimate itself, play it safe, seek confirmation, and avoid ambiguity. When a decision involves a clear answer, ChatGPT does so without any errors but when judgment is involved, AI may make bad decisions. So it is important to monitor ChatGPT’s answers instead of leaving them unchecked, especially if it is being used for policy making.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

TikTok Expands EU Data Centers, Strengthens Privacy Compliance While Navigating Fines and U.S. Uncertainty

The fate of TikTok still hangs in limbo in America, and during that period of uncertainty, the social media giant is working to better its relations with the EU.

The company has taken a major step to make regulators in the region happy by keeping user data separate from that related to its base in China. This means it’s trying to pull out all the stops to regain confidence and ensure it stands as a separate entity in this regard.

In this regard, the app shared a new update called Project Clover, which is aimed at tackling data security. The goal right now is to make sure EU data isn’t accessed by Chinese employees and government officials.

The initiative was first shared last year in July, where TikTok now admits to hitting a milestone with this latest change. The final EU data center is currently in operation. The current one, located in Hamar, Norway, plays a crucial role in the region’s economy. The location supports nearly 200 jobs, and that entails cooling experts, engineers, and electricians. They’re all contributing by providing tech expertise in that part of the world while enhancing regional employment.

The app shared how the latest establishment is a part of its dedicated efforts to make the EU happy and ensure all user data is stored in the EU only through default means. It’s also working on tapping on the shoulders of the NCC cybersecurity group to oversee and confirm all data controls.

Through this, the app is now getting stored across different EU data centers and hosting various facilities across the nation. This ensures there aren’t any data transfers linked to China. However, it’s still set to be impacted with a massive $552M fine by regulators in Ireland for past transfers of EU users’ data to China.

The starting investigation that gave rise to this fine was Project Clover, but now that the company is showing a clear separation from this project, it is hoped matters will clear up. However, that’s not the case. Today, TikTok is spending billions in regards to overseeing and developing data protection for EU users. With the fine getting included in this bill, it’s adding a lot of pressure in general.

This might be another reason why it’s working to better its in-app commerce push. Remember, the goal is to focus on the American market for all in-platform sales, but there’s no harm in extending that into the European side, right?

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Authors Around the World Protest Against Meta’s AI Book Scraping Activities

A new investigation by The Atlantic is shedding light on a huge problem that authors in today’s day and age are facing, thanks to AI.

So much original content is not only getting scraped online by bots, it’s also getting published on public libraries, leading to absolute fury. Millions of books and academic papers were taken without consent.

The recent fury has to do with Facebook’s parent firm Meta, which might have accessed millions of materials to train its AI system Llama. This is why groups of authors located in places like the UK are standing their ground and protesting for their rights. They want their governments to intervene. We’re already seeing Meta, which owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, defend a legal case brought on by top authors for the same reason.

The systems are huge, and they keep getting fed with huge amounts of data and trained to spot different patterns inside. This data is then used to produce passages of text by guessing the next term in that sequence.

Despite all of these systems getting dubbed intelligent, we see critics each day express dismay about how LLMs don’t think out of the box. They’re zero in terms of comprehension and can present all sorts of errors like it’s reality.

Most tech giants kept on arguing about how they need to produce more information to transform these systems into something reliable. At the same time, the media industry that features artists and authors also wants these tech giants to pay them for using their material.

A spokesperson at Meta shared how it rolled out transformational GenAI that powers huge innovation, creativity, and productivity for people working inside firms. They claim that fair use copyrights are crucial in curbing the issue, and that Meta wants to create AI that helps the masses.

Other than stealing ideas, issues about accuracy exist, and AI systems are super power hungry today. They’re creating more environmental fears as people worry it might replace them in the workplace someday soon.

Meta strongly feels open source models such as Llama better human productivity and can enhance quality of life, but this comes at the cost of human creativity. Artists feel they’re already undervalued, and now AI is taking away whatever little they have.

This is why so many writers are calling upon the government to make a difference, as that’s they’re only hope. They are helpless right now, and competing against the likes of Meta is never going to be easy for anyone.

After scraping the material, authors get zero compensation or even a shoutout of recognition when it’s used. This is what they are arguing about. Writers are calling for transparency as that’s something they feel is the least they deserve. After all, taking books produced by someone else and then using that to make revenue without taking consent is a little harsh, don’t you think?

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

AI-Fueled Side Hustles Are Booming: How Entrepreneurs Are Building Businesses in Record Time

Side hustles have always been about turning ideas into income on your own terms. But now, thanks to AI, the timeline from “idea” to “income” is shrinking fast. What used to take weeks, or even months, can now happen in days. Sometimes, hours.

For today’s entrepreneurs, AI tools can be a shortcut, a collaborator, and a productivity powerhouse. A recent study from Liquid Web shows us just how quickly side hustlers are building real businesses by putting AI to work. The findings have a lot to say about where work is heading and how fast things are changing.

Businesses are launching faster than ever

Forget drawn-out business plans and months of prep. Those days are fading. According to the study, nearly 40% of side hustlers launched their businesses within a week of using AI tools. Even more surprising, about 10% took just two days to go from idea to launch.

That kind of speed used to be unheard of. Now, it’s becoming the norm — especially for younger entrepreneurs. Gen Z, while making up just over a fifth of survey participants, accounted for 40% of the fastest launches. One in five even started making money in the first week.

Around 60% of these side hustlers used AI to help build websites, write content, manage social media, or handle repetitive tasks. AI is letting solo entrepreneurs skip what's slowing them down and get right to building their businesses. What’s driving all this? Mostly generative AI tools like ChatGPT.

Some are making money right away

That’s not an exaggeration. One in five survey respondents earned income—averaging more than $200—within the first week of starting their AI-powered hustle.

The average time to launch was just 17 days.

And these aren’t just quick gigs or flash-in-the-pan projects. People are building scalable businesses with real potential. AI cuts costs, simplifies branding, and makes delivering services way easier. What once needed a team can now be done by one person, thanks to smart automation and content-generation tools.

This new wave of entrepreneurship is lean, fast, and efficient — and it’s already paying off.

People are happy with AI and doubling down

Most side hustlers are seeing more than just early wins using AI to help build businesses. They’re also genuinely happy with how AI tools are working for them.

According to the data:

• 83% said they saved time.
• 80% found AI tools cost-effective.
• 80% thought they were easy to learn.
• 79% were happy with their final product's quality.

That kind of satisfaction usually leads to reinvestment, and Liquid Web found that entrepreneurs have done so. Two in five side hustlers said they plan to put earnings back into better AI tools. Among Gen Z, that number climbs to 45%.

In short, people are seeing results, and they’re all in.

As Sachin Puri, Chief Growth Officer at Liquid Web, put it: “AI is reshaping not only how businesses start, but also how quickly they achieve financial success.”

The top roadblocks: Time, money, and marketing

AI has removed a lot of traditional hurdles, but it hasn’t solved everything. Entrepreneurs still face real challenges. Here’s what respondents said they’re struggling with most:

• 37% pointed to limited time to devote to their side hustle.
• 30% said lack of funds.
• 16% mentioned gaps in marketing or sales skills.
• 11% brought up lack of technical knowledge.

Only 5% said access to AI tools was a barrier, which is telling. The tools are out there, but people still need support with strategy, time management, and scaling their operations.

How people are actually using AI

So, what exactly are entrepreneurs doing with these tools?

• Creating content (51%) – Think blog posts, product descriptions, website copy, and social media.
• Design and branding (43%) – From logos to full-blown web templates.
• Brainstorming ideas (37%) – AI is becoming a go-to for fast idea generation.
• Improving marketing (37%) – Smarter tools mean better targeting and messaging.
• Automating tasks (31%) – Streamlining repetitive work and freeing up time.

Some are going even further, using AI for customer service, data analysis, or helping with product development. What’s great is that you don’t need a huge budget to access these tools. Small teams and even solo creators can do a lot with just a few platforms.

A different kind of side hustle

When you think of side hustles, you might imagine things like selling items on Etsy or picking up freelance gigs. AI is changing that—now, people are expanding into building content businesses, productized services, and even micro-agencies—all with a few tools and a clear niche.

AI is a time-saver in many ways, but it’s a game-changer for how people think about starting a business on the side. The speed, affordability, and scalability that AI brings is creating a whole new type of entrepreneurship.

It's also not just for tech-savvy folks. These tools are getting more intuitive and beginner-friendly every day, opening doors for people from all backgrounds.

What this means for the future of work

Entrepreneurship used to feel out of reach for a lot of people. Not anymore. With AI, someone with a good idea and a few free hours can spin up a brand, build a site, and start offering services in a weekend.

And they can do it without spending thousands upfront.

This shift is changing how we think about jobs, careers, and what’s possible with limited time or resources—even while holding down a full-time job. It’s creating a more level playing field where anyone willing to learn can build something valuable.

The advice for new founders: Start now. Experiment—see what works, then double down.

As Puri said: “The potential for growth is immense when you combine creativity with the power of AI.”

Fast, flexible, and AI-powered side hustles

AI isn’t just helping side hustlers move faster—it’s reshaping the whole idea of what side hustling can be.

People are launching smarter, earning sooner, and building businesses they couldn’t have imagined a few years ago. And they’re doing it with tools that continue to get better, cheaper, and easier to use.

This is more than a trend. It’s the start of a new kind of entrepreneurship—one powered by tech, driven by creativity, and open to anyone with a laptop and a little ambition.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World