23/02/2026

LYFE MONDAY | FEB 23, 2026

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Scammers target BTS fans ahead of Arirang World Tour o Fraudulent websites selling membership passes

TECH CEOs are locked in an artificial intelligence (AI) “arms race” that risks wiping out humanity, top computer science researcher Stuart Russell told AFP, calling for governments to pull the brakes. Russell, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said the heads of the world’s biggest AI companies understand the dangers posed by super-intelligent systems that could one day overpower humans. To him, the onus to save the species rests on world leaders who can take collective action. “For governments to allow private entities to essentially play Russian roulette with every human being on earth is, in my view, a total dereliction of duty,” said Russell, a prominent voice on AI safety. Countries and companies are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on building energy-hungry data centres to train and run generative AI tools. The rapidly developing technology promises benefits such as drug discovery, but could also lead to job losses, and facilitate surveillance and online abuse among other threats. Alongside that is the risk of “AI systems themselves taking control and human civilisation being collatoral damage in that process”, Russell said in an interview at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. “Each of the CEOs of the main AI companies, I believe, wants to disarm” but cannot do so “unilaterally” as they would be fired by investors, he said. “Some of them have said it in public and some of the told me it privately,” he added, noting that even Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, has said on-record that AI could lead to human extinction. OpenAI and rival US startup Anthropic have seen public resignations of staff who have spoken out about their ethical concerns. Anthropic also warned last week that its latest chatbot models could be nudged towards “knowingly supporting – in small ways – efforts toward chemical weapon development and other heinous crimes”. Human ‘imitators’ International gatherings such as this week’s AI summit provide an opportunity for regulation, although its three previous editions have only resulted in voluntary agreements from tech companies. “It really helps if each of the governments understand this issue. And so that’s why I’m here,” Russell said. India is hoping the five-day AI summit, attended by tech bosses and dozens of high level national delegations, will help it power ahead in the sector. Indian IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday that the country expects more than US$200 billion (RM780.6 billion) in AI investments over the next two years, including roughly US$90 billion already committed. Meanwhile, fears that AI assistant tools could lead to mass redundancies in India’s large customer service and tech support sectors has caused shares in the country’s outsourcing firms to plunge in recent days. These kind of back-end jobs in India are ripe for replacement with AI, Russell said. “We are creating human imitators. And so of course, the natural application for that type of system is replacing humans.” Russell is sensing a burgeoning backlash against AI, “particularly among younger people”. “They actually are pushing back against the dehumanising aspects of AI,” he said. “When you’re taking over all cognitive functions – the ability to answer a question, to make a decision, to make a plan... you are turning someone into less than a human being. The young people do not want that.” AI ‘arms race’ risks human extinction, warns top expert

OVER the last year, Google deepened its investments into artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time defenses, resulting in the prevention of 1.75 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play and the ban of more than 80,000 developers that attempted to publish harmful apps. On top of those numbers, Google Play further prevented more than 255,000 apps from gaining excessive access to sensitive user data, while preventing 160 million spam ratings and reviews and an average 0.5-star rating drop for apps targeted by review bombing. Google App & Ecosystem Trust vice president Vijaya Kaza explained that the numbers reflect the company’s push for more proactive protections and an accountable ecosystem that has no room for bad actors attempting to misuse the platform. In the report, Vijaya details how Google Play puts apps through rigorous reviews that test safety and compliance, where 2025 saw the platform running over 10,000 safety checks on each app that was published. Last year also saw Google improving upon existing processes by boosting AI-enhanced app detection through the integration of Google’s latest generative AI models, preventing unnecessary access to sensitive data, blocking spam ratings and reviews, along with safeguarding kids and families. Similar to YouTube’s Shorts, Google Play introduced its own layers of protection, such as age-appropriate protections, to prevent its K ASPERSKY’S researchers have discovered scam campaigns targeted at BTS fans following the group’s recent announcement of their Arirang World Tour. Fraudulent websites mimicking the official BTS fandom platform Weverse are seen to be luring unsuspecting fans into making purchases that are never fulfilled. Following the release of the band’s 2026 World Tour dates, cybercriminals are leveraging fans’ excitement to launch related scam campaigns. Mimicking the official BTS fandom platform Weverse, these fraudulent websites are seen selling membership passes. However, these have no affiliation with Hybe, BTS or Weverse, and are solely designed to scam unsuspecting fans. Besides losing the money from the initial purchase, individuals may face even greater financial harm as scammers can exploit the stolen credentials to further their fraud campaigns. In addition, recent research also revealed that personal data harvested through these phishing sites may even be sold on the dark web to be used for targeted attacks. These credentials – once leaked, allows cybercriminals to craft multiple highly personalised scams, turning one-time victims into long-term targets for financial and identity fraud. “Periods of excitement and anticipation leading up to celebrity concerts unfortunately also create ideal opportunities for cybercriminals. They often exploit feelings of excitement and urgency that individuals experience as it can override our sense of caution and reduce our inclination to scrutinise. As we head into 2026 with numerous pop concerts planned in the Apac region, it is crucial that we exercise caution and take proactive steps to protect ourselves

BTS’ concert tour runs from April this year until March next year. – PIC FROM BIGHIT MUSIC

from these scams, especially as AI continues to enhance their deceptive capabilities,” Kaspersky managing director for Asia Pacific Adrian Hia said. To avoid falling victim to fraud, Kaspersky advises to: 0 Verify the authenticity of online stores before making a purchase. Always double check URLs, spelling of brand names and whether the site is the official retailer or an authorised partner. 0 Use trusted payment methods when purchasing items online. 0 Use a reliable security solution that can detect malicious pages and block phishing attempts. An example of a scam website selling BTS fan club membership.

0 Enable multi-factor authentication and monitor your accounts. Turn on 2FA for payment services and online banking, and regularly check your bank statements for any unauthorised transactions. 0 Ensure secure browsing with VPN, protecting your IP address and preventing data leaks. A fraudulent payment page asking for financial credentials.

Google touts success in blocking rogue apps

Google Play’s security achievements.

vulnerable and younger audience from discovering and downloading apps involving activities such as gambling and dating. For the broader Android ecosystem, Google Play Protect and real-time security measures such as in-call scam protections were also expanded, while on the built-in front, the platform scans over 350 billion Android apps daily as an added layer of defense against malware and unwanted software. As technology and the tactics of bad actors continue to evolve, Google’s security statistics in the new report outline how the company and its Google Play platform is evolving even faster to stay ahead of the curb.

Google Play puts apps through rigorous reviews that test safety and compliance.