AI Did Not Invent Social Engineering but IT Did Industrialize IT.
KnowBe4, Thursday, August 6th, 2026
KnowBe4 marks National Social Engineering Day arguing AI industrialized rather than invented social engineering.
KnowBe4 marks National Social Engineering Day, which falls on August 6, with a reminder about how attacks actually work.
Cybercriminals do not always need sophisticated malware, an undisclosed vulnerability, or a room full of glowing monitors. Often manipulation of a person is sufficient.
The post's central argument is that AI did not invent social engineering but has industrialized it, making high-quality pretexting available at scale.