Data breach incidents soar

And will likely continue to do so, thanks to artificial "intelligence."

The Identity Theft Resource Center tracked 1,803 data compromises in the first half of 2026, putting the year on pace to surpass the record 3,321 incidents recorded in all of 2025. That figure outpaces the 297.5 million victim notices the ITRC recorded across all of 2025…

The surge comes as artificial intelligence is making attacks easier to execute. One in four malicious breaches between March 2025 and February 2026 were AI-enabled, a 56% increase over the prior year, according to an IBM $IBM +0.08% study based on 602 organizations globally. Those AI-enabled breaches — driven by deepfake impersonation and AI-enabled malware — cost companies an average of $6 million, roughly $1 million above the global breach average of $4.99 million. - Quartz

Have fun giving AI your credit card

To be clear, the title of this post is deliberate sarcasm.

As marketing researchers who study how AI affects consumer behavior, we believe we’re seeing the beginning of the biggest shift in how people shop since smartphones arrived. Most people have no idea it’s happening…

For three decades, the internet has worked the same way: You want something, you Google it, you compare options, you decide, you buy. You’re in control…

Soon comes “autopilot AI,” where AI makes purchases for you with minimal input from you. “Order flowers for my anniversary next week.” ChatGPT checks your calendar, remembers preferences, processes payment and confirms delivery.

Each phase adds convenience but gives you less control. - The Conversation