'Robots could mimic writing styles and habits of millions of people to launch devastating scams, cyber security experts have warned.
Hackers could use AI programmes to impersonate individuals after malicious software harvests records and emails from their computers.
Such a scam could 'explode' as colleagues and contacts are tricked into opening files and infecting their own systems.
A House of Lords committee has also been told that criminal gangs could deploy AI to sift masses of material collected from hacked devices such as smart TVs at companies - and work out what can intelligence can be used to make money.
The potential for organised gangs to 'scale up' their activities using developments in artificial intelligence was spelled out in evidence to peers by respected Cambridge-based cyber security experts Darktrace.
The written submission to the AI Committee, which is investigation the potential threat from the fast-shifting technology, says there are huge opportunities for motivated groups to 'pursue new models of criminality'.
'Imagine a piece of malicious software on your laptop that can read your calendar, emails, messages etc,' it said.
'Now imagine that it has AI that can understand all of that material and can train itself on how you differently communicate with different people.
'It could then contextually contact your co-workers and customers replicating your individual communication style with each of them to spread itself.'
Read more: Could robots pretend to be YOU? Cyber security experts warn that AI could mimic writing styles and habits of millions of users to launch devastating scams
