AI Safety Forum Australia
Andrew Childs

Andrew Childs

Lecturer, Griffith University

About

Dr Andrew Childs is a Lecturer in Criminology at Griffith University. His research examines the evolution of online illicit markets, cybercrime subcultures, and the criminogenic risks of disruptive technologies (e.g. cryptocurrency, AI). He has published pioneering work on social media drug markets, identity fraud, and cryptocurrency scams using innovative digital qualitative methods for studying online offending.

AcademiaEarly career / PhD (0-5 years)Social sciencesSecurity/cybersecurity

Speaking at AI Safety Forum 2026

Will the real FraudGPT please stand up? Dark AI and Cybercrime Markets

7 July 2026 · 2:00 pm – 2:13 pm · Cullentalk

This talk examines the rise of “Dark AI”: AI models and chatbots promoted for criminal use that are sold in online illicit markets and distributed through cybercrime communities (e.g. FraudGPT, WormGPT). I’ll draw on early findings from digital ethnographic research to discuss the uneven and messy commodification of these capabilities, how a focus only on branded illicit chatbots risks ignoring the wider ways that AI capabilities are being assembled in organised cybercrime, and the conditions under which Dark AI could develop into a more mature online illicit market. This research has implications for AI safety by focusing on the upstream market conditions and communities that will make the criminal exploitation and use of AI more widespread.