Microsoft published a report saying state-backed hackers from Russia, China, and Iran have been using tools from OpenAI, a US based artificial intelligence research organisation, to increase their skills and trick their targets. Microsoft has also invested a significant amount in OpenAI.

Microsoft said in its report it had tracked hacking groups affiliated with Russian military intelligence, Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and the Chinese and North Korean governments as they tried to perfect their hacking campaigns using large language models. Those computer programs, often called artificial intelligence, draw on massive amounts of text to generate human-sounding responses.

The company announced the find as it rolled out a blanket ban on state-backed hacking groups using its AI products.

The allegation that state-backed hackers have been caught using AI tools to help boost their spying capabilities is likely to underline concerns about the rapid proliferation of the technology and its potential for abuse. Senior cybersecurity officials in the West have been warning since last year that rogue actors were abusing such tools, although specifics have, until now, been thin on the ground.