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AI-Powered Worms: A New Threat on the Horizon?

2/4/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On November 2, 1988, Robert Morris released the self-replicating Morris worm.
The worm infected about 10% of connected computers within 24 hours, causing significant crashes.
Morris aimed to measure the Internet's size, but a coding error led to unintended damage.
Security researchers warn of a potential threat: prompt worms could spread through AI networks by following prompts, as some could be shared voluntarily among AI agents.

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Story summary

On November 2, 1988, Robert Morris released the self-replicating Morris worm.
The worm infected about 10% of connected computers within 24 hours, causing significant crashes.
Morris aimed to measure the Internet's size, but a coding error led to unintended damage.
Security researchers warn of a potential threat: prompt worms could spread through AI networks by following prompts, as some could be shared voluntarily among AI agents.