“Anything we share online, especially if you can be identified as a person of interest, should be assumed to be decrypted within a couple of years,” he noted. “It’s likely that this is already occurring.”
The stakes are particularly high for cryptocurrencies since most blockchain technologies utilize the same elliptic curve cryptography found throughout the internet. A sufficiently advanced quantum computer could potentially extract private keys from public keys, enabling hackers to access vulnerable wallets and systems.
However, researchers suggest that the more significant issue isn’t just quantum computing but rather the interplay between quantum technology and AI, which is leading to an ongoing security arms race.
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly adept at pinpointing software weaknesses and flaws in implementation. “I anticipate that the rise of AI will further accelerate hacking attempts,” Pruden remarked. “These AI models are now capable of discovering either bugs in the fundamental cryptography or, increasingly, even compromising the cryptography itself.”
Conversely, developers are also leveraging AI for defensive purposes, such as code auditing, testing, and formal verification—mathematical methods that ensure software functions as intended. “AI can assist in formally verifying post-quantum systems,” Pruden mentioned. “This could theoretically enhance their security.”
According to researchers, the outcome is a scenario where security can no longer be viewed as a static framework that only gets updates every decade. “Moving forward, no system will remain as static as it has been,” Pruden warned. “Either a quantum computer becomes available that can dismantle basic assumptions, or AI advances enough to challenge those assumptions as well.”