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AI Turbocharging Australia’s $82 Billion Organised Crime Wave

The Australian Financial Review

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Date Published
27 Sept 2026
Priority Score
3
Australian
Yes
Created
27 Sept 2026, 10:00 am

Authors (1)

Description

Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief Heather Cook says AI is being harnessed by criminal syndicates operating like business empires.

Summary

Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief Heather Cook warns that criminal syndicates are increasingly 'optimising' artificial intelligence to scale illicit operations, including scams, money laundering, and violent crime. These AI-driven activities represent a significant shift in the threat landscape, transforming criminal networks into efficient, high-revenue business empires that drain the national budget. While focused on near-term criminality, the exploitation of frontier technologies by malicious actors highlights critical vulnerabilities in national security and the need for robust governance to mitigate large-scale societal harm. The report underscores the urgent requirement for Australian policy frameworks to evolve alongside AI capabilities to counter sophisticated, tech-enabled threats to public safety.

Body

PoliticsFederalOrganised crimePrint articleNicola SmithForeign affairs and defence correspondentSep 27, 2026 – 3.16pmArtificial intelligence is turbocharging crime syndicates into an $82 billion-a-year illicit empire that is draining the federal budget, driving up insurance premiums and recruiting young people into an alarming national wave of criminals for hire.In a rare interview, Heather Cook, the chief executive of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, said criminal networks were “optimising” the use of new technology to drive a wave of scams, violent assault, white-collar crime and money-laundering, all of which were pushing up business and hip pocket costs and eating into social services resources.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleRead MoreOrganised crimeAICrimeFetching latest articles