Wearable, Shareable... Unbearable? The IoT and AI Tech Nobody Asked For but Cybercriminals Love!

Wearable, Shareable… Unbearable? The IoT and AI Tech Nobody Asked For but Cybercriminals Love!
In this eye-opening — and darkly humorous — session from the Artificial Unintelligence Conference 2025, Lianne Potter exposes the hidden risks behind the wave of “smart” consumer devices flooding our homes, pockets, and wrists. From wearables and smart appliances to novelty IoT gadgets, she reveals how these convenience-driven technologies quietly create vast new attack surfaces that cybercriminals are eager to exploit.

Lianne explains how the addition of AI makes these devices more powerful, but also dramatically more dangerous — expanding data collection, inference capabilities, and potential entry points for attackers. With real-world examples and practical insights, she shows how manufacturers, policymakers, and users all share responsibility in addressing the growing security crisis.

Key themes include:

The invisible attack surfaces created by everyday IoT devices

How AI-enabled “smart features” widen opportunities for exploitation

The gap between user understanding and actual data exposure

Industry pressures that lead to insecure, rushed device releases

What manufacturers, regulators, and users can do to mitigate IoT/AI risk`