I am an AI expert and here’s why synthetic threats demand synthetic resilience

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the landscape of fraud prevention, creating new opportunities for defense as well as new avenues for deception.

Across industries, AI has become a double-edged sword. On one hand, it enables more sophisticated fraud detection, but on the other, it is being weaponized by threat actors to exploit controls, create synthetic identities and launch hyper-realistic attacks.

Fraud prevention is vital in sectors handling high volumes of sensitive transactions and digital identities. In financial services, for example, it’s not just about protecting capital – regulatory compliance and customer trust are at stake.

Similar cybersecurity pressures are growing in telecoms and tech industries like SaaS, ecommerce and cloud infrastructure, where threats like SIM swapping, API abuse and synthetic users can cause serious disruption.

Fraud has already shifted from a risk to a core business challenge – with 58 per cent of key decision-makers in large UK businesses now viewing it as a ‘serious threat’, according to a survey conducted in 2024.

The rise of synthetic threats

Synthetic fraud refers to attacks that leverage fabricated data, AI-generated content or manipulated digital identities. These aren’t new concepts, but the capability and accessibility of generative AI tools have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry.

A major threat is the creation of synthetic identities which are combinations of real and fictitious information used to open accounts, bypass Know-Your-Customer (KYC) checks or access services.

Deepfakes are also being used to impersonate executives during video calls or in phishing attempts. One recent example involved attackers using AI to mimic a CEO’s voice and authorize a fraudulent transfer. These tactics are difficult to detect in fast-moving digital environments without advanced, real-time verification methods.

Data silos only exacerbate the problem. In many tech organizations, different departments rely on disconnected tools or platforms. One team may use AI for authentication while another still relies on legacy systems, and it is these blind spots which are easily exploited by AI-driven fraud.

AI as a defense

While AI enables fraud, it also offers powerful tools for defense if implemented strategically. At its best, AI can process vast volumes of data in real time, detect suspicious patterns and adapt as threats evolve. But this depends on effective integration, governance and oversight.

One common weakness lies in fragmented systems. Fraud prevention efforts often operate in silos across compliance, cybersecurity and customer teams. To build true resilience, organizations must align AI strategies across departments. Shared data lakes, or secure APIs, can enable integrated models with a holistic view of user behavior.

Synthetic data, often associated with fraud, can also play a role in defense. Organizations can use anonymized, realistic data to simulate rare fraud scenarios and train models without compromising customer privacy. This approach helps test defenses against edge cases not found in historical data.

Fraud systems must also be adaptive. Static rules and rarely updated models can’t keep pace with AI-powered fraud – real-time, continuously learning systems are now essential. Many companies are adopting behavioral biometrics, where AI monitors how users interact with devices, such as typing rhythm or mouse movement, to detect anomalies, even when credentials appear valid.

Explainability is another cornerstone of responsible AI use and it is essential to understand why a system has flagged or blocked activity. Explainable AI (XAI) frameworks help make decisions transparently, supporting trust and regulatory compliance, ensuring AI is not just effective, but also accountable.

Industry collaboration

AI-enhanced fraud doesn’t respect organizational boundaries, and as a result, cross-industry collaboration is becoming increasingly important. While sectors like financial services have long benefited from information-sharing frameworks like ISACs, similar initiatives are emerging in the broader tech ecosystem.

Cloud providers are beginning to share indicators of compromised credentials or coordinated malicious activity with clients. SaaS and cybersecurity vendors are also forming consortiums and joint research initiatives to accelerate detection and improve response times across the board.

Despite its power, AI is not a silver bullet and organizations which rely solely on automation risk missing subtle or novel fraud techniques. Effective fraud strategies should include regular model audits, scenario testing and red-teaming exercises (where ethical hackers conduct simulated cyberattacks on an organization to test cybersecurity effectiveness).

Human analysts bring domain knowledge and judgement that can refine model performance. Training teams to work alongside AI is key to building synthetic resilience, combining human insight with machine speed and scale.

Resilience is a system, not a feature

As AI transforms both the tools of fraud and the methods of prevention, organizations must redefine resilience. It’s no longer about isolated tools, but about creating a connected, adaptive, and explainable defense ecosystem.

For many organizations, that means integrating AI across business units, embracing synthetic data, prioritizing explainability, and embedding continuous improvement into fraud models. While financial services may have pioneered many of these practices, the broader tech industry now faces the same level of sophistication in fraud, and must respond accordingly.

In this new era, synthetic resilience is not a static end goal but a capability to be constantly cultivated. Those who succeed will not only defend their businesses more effectively but help define the future of secure, AI-enabled digital trust.

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