The Age Of AI-Orchestrated Cyber Attacks Is Here

Written By Guest User

Plus: Legendary Filmmaker Ken Burns Calls American Revolution Most Important Historical Event Since Birth Of Christ

Before we get to today’s headlines, here’s a glimpse of what’s ahead for all of us this weekend in our weekly ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section.

What We’re Watching:

What We’re Reading:

What We’re Eating:

P.S. IN PERSON EVENT NEXT WEEK! Join Mosh, Jill, and the Mo News team for our first-ever NYC Happy Hour Meetup on Tuesday, Nov 18, from 6-8 PM at our Mo News offices inside Industrious (Midtown Manhattan). Join Premium to get the RSVP link in your welcome email. If you’re already a member, check your inbox for an email with all the details.

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Chinese Hackers Conduct First AI-Orchestrated Cyber Attack

Chinese state-sponsored hackers recently used Anthropic’s AI to target roughly 30 technology companies, financial institutions, and government agencies — successfully breaching at least four of them.

This is the first documented case of a suspected foreign government using AI to fully automate a cyber attack, effectively sidestepping safety guardrails and having Anthropic’s AI agent, Claude, carry out the attack.

BEHIND THE ATTACK
Anthropic said Thursday that AI handled 80–90% of the mid-September attack with minimal human interference. “The AI made thousands of requests per second — an attack speed that would have been, for human hackers, simply impossible to match,” Anthropic said.

  • How it was done: The attackers framed prompts as legitimate cybersecurity tasks and also split malicious instructions into smaller, less suspicious requests to avoid triggering safeguards. At the same time, the model did hallucinate some login credentials and claimed some public documents were private.

Anthropic says it has banned the malicious accounts, notified targeted organizations, and informed law enforcement. China’s embassy in Washington denied allegations that state-backed hackers orchestrated the attack, saying the country “firmly opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with law.”

BIGGER ISSUES
Experts warn that AI-driven cybercrime will only accelerate, and the attacks will become even more effective. Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have also reported state actors — including Russia, Iran, and North Korea — using AI tools to bolster cyberattacks.

  • The attacks highlight the lack of government oversight in the fast-moving generative-AI space.

  • Anthropic said it is strengthening detection tools, but warned that similar tactics could soon be used by far less sophisticated hackers.

State of play: In the three years since ChatGPT’s release in Nov. 2022, leaders at AI companies have repeatedly urged lawmakers to regulate the technology, arguing that guardrails are necessary to prevent misuse by bad actors. But the New York Times reports that since the Trump administration took office — and as AI capabilities accelerate — many tech companies have shifted their stance: going after states that attempt to regulate them, and framing such efforts as jeopardizing America’s ability to compete with authoritarian countries like China.

TRANSPARENCY & GUIDELINES
Lack of AI oversight goes beyond national security — it also affects entertainment and the job market. Employers are warning that the job market for the Class of 2026 will be the toughest since pandemic lockdowns, in part due to to AI advancements.

  • In the job market, major companies are cutting thousands of roles; candidates with experience are favored above recent grads; and companies are testing out what entry-level roles can be replaced with AI.

  • In entertainment, AI is already threatening to compete with or replace human artists. This week AI-generated singer, Breaking Rust, topped the Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales with the song “Walk My Walk” — which currently has nearly 4 million plays on Spotify.

    • Streaming platforms like Spotify have promised to establish more guardrails to ensure AI-generated music does not take away revenue or streams from human artists. Measures include stronger rules against impersonations, filters to detect music spam, and forced disclosures of when music has been made by AI (though no sign of that yet).

    • Streaming platform Deezer released a new survey on Wednesday that showed that 97% of listeners cannot distinguish between human-composed and AI-generated songs.

Consumer backlash: Meanwhile, many people feel social media is becoming oversaturated with AI content — much of it still missing watermarks or clear disclosures. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who shut down Vine in 2017 (remember that?!), is rebooting the short-form video platform as diVine, and specifying that no AI content is allowed. The app will flag and block any suspected AI-generated videos, and bring back more than 100,000 archived Vine clips from nearly a decade ago — playing into users’ nostalgia for a lost era of the internet.

The Psychology Of Target: Why You Go For Toothpaste & Leave With A Full Cart

Americans are expected to spend more than $1 trillion this holiday season — up more than 4% from last year— according to the National Retail Federation. While many consumers are concerned about the state of the economy, they still plan to spend — especially on gifts. NRF says retailers are also hiring up to 365,000 seasonal workers to meet the demand.

Ahead of the holidays, we visited Target’s new Denton, Texas store, which opened in April, to see how the retailer is catering to consumer tastes this season, adjusting their prices and responding to customer feedback. Turns out, it’s all in the design, including the width of the aisles and the lightbulbs.

THE TARGET EFFECT
From the moment you grab that red cart, Target’s layout is intended to showcase as many products as possible with relevant sections located next to one another, explains Store Director LaShon Henderson, who manages one of their newest stores in Denton, TX.

  • “I’m gonna show you inspiration throughout the building. Whether it be inspiration from a price point that delivers joy or just something that’s new on the market... that you didn’t come in here wanting, but I have it in the front,” she says.

  • Seasonal favorites like Advent calendars and Grinch ornaments are placed where shoppers can’t miss them, and kids’ favorites, like Ms. Rachel toys, are at eye level for little ones.

  • Given Americans’ concerns about cost, Target says it is focused on keeping prices down for consumer staples – announcing price reductions on 3,000 household essentials.

From what Henderson dubbed “Party Central” — where greeting cards meet balloons and ribbons — to the ever-changing “Bullseye’s Playground” that hooks shoppers with $1-$5 trinkets, the experience is part of a broader philosophy: that shopping should feel good. Target is trying to build an entire ecosystem around that.

Learn more about our visit to Target on the Mo News Instagram and how you can win a free Target Circle 360 membership!

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Trump administration designates 4 left-wing European networks as terrorist organizations (AP)

  • Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasts Trump’s Epstein focus (POLITICO)

  • Seattle elects socialist Katie Wilson as next mayor (MO NEWS)

  • Trump’s lone remaining criminal case gets new prosecutor (AXIOS)

  • 4 million people under flood alerts as Los Angeles braces for month’s worth of rain in a day (NBC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • Ukraine attacks key Russian oil hub as deadly strikes pound Kyiv (CNN)

  • Several people killed in bus crash in Stockholm, police say (REUTERS)

  • South Africa to investigate ‘mysterious’ arrival of 153 Palestinians on plane (GUARDIAN)

  • Protesters blockade Cop30 summit over plight of Indigenous peoples (AP)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • The Trump administration is lowering its mega tariffs on Switzerland (CNN)

  • JPMorgan Chase wins fight with fintech firms over fees to access customer data (CNBC)

  • Blue Origin successfully launches NASA spacecraft on journey to Mars after delays (FOX)

  • Ultra-processed foods linked to higher risk of precancerous polyps, new study finds (CBS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Bad Bunny wins album of the year at 2025 Latin Grammys (NPR)

  • Man who rushed Ariana Grande at “Wicked: For Good” premiere faces charges in Singapore (CBS)

  • Billie Eilish slams Elon Musk as “pathetic” for hoarding money while nearing trillionaire status (VARIETY)

  • Arrest made after Former ‘Last Chance U’ coach shot on Oakland campus (AP/ESPN)Cleveland pitcher Emmanuel Clase arrested at NY airport in connection with alleged gambling scheme (AP)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Mo News sat down with legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns about his latest project: “The American Revolution,” a six-part docuseries that premieres Sunday on PBS.

  • Burns once called the American Revolution “the most important event in world history since the birth of Christ” — a line he admits was meant to provoke and spark debate.

    • He told Mo News that the war’s true significance is how it evolved from a fight for independence into a fight for universal rights.

🎧 Mosheh and Burns dig into the war itself, the Founders’ era, and how both continue to shape debates over democracy in 2025. Listen on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast. You can also watch the full conversation on Youtube.

Guest User
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