University of Toronto researchers have built and tested a proof-of-concept AI-driven computer worm that uses a locally hosted open-weight large language model to reason its way through a network, generate tailored attack strategies for each target it encounters, and replicate itself, all without human intervention and without touching a commercial AI service.
The preprint, posted to arXiv on
Original report published on: https://thehackernews.com/2026/06/researchers-build-self-replicating-ai.html