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Disney engineer downloaded 'helpful' AI tool that ended up completely destroying his life
Daily Mail UK ^ | 02 26 2025 | GERMANIA RODRIGUEZ POLEO

Posted on 02/26/2025 10:07:51 AM PST by yesthatjallen

A former Disney engineer who downloaded an AI tool for fun says the decision destroyed his life and career.

Matthew Van Andel, 42, had his financial information stolen by hackers who used his login credentials to steal crucial data from Disney, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

That saw him fired from his job.

He had downloaded the free software from the code-sharing site GitHub in February on a computer at his $1.1 million home. The technology was supposed to help him create AI images from text prompts. Instead, it was malware that gave hackers access to his entire digital life - including his work data - through a password-manager.

Van Andel knew something was wrong in July, when he received a Discord message that read: 'I have gained access to certain sensitive information related to your personal and professional life.'

The stranger messaging knew a lot about him - including details about his lunch with co-workers days before that had been discussed in a private workplace Slack channel.

The next morning, after Van Andel went to the police instead of handing the hackers more information, over 44 million Disney messages were published online.

The data dump included Disney's private customer information, employee passport numbers, and theme park and streaming revenue numbers.

SNIP

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: ai; disney; malware
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To: coloradan

I have been on my android phone and have had the tv on using Roku and when I go to the Youtube app I start seeing suggestions of what I am talking about on the phone. Within minutes they pop up.

I have asked for blondes and brunettes and bikinis but no luck so far....

Github is owned by Microsoft so I am sure that Windows 11 and soon to be 12 are safe from hackers...


21 posted on 02/27/2025 12:28:40 AM PST by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: minnesota_bound

That home shown that is $1 million is less then $100,000 most anywhere else in the USA.


22 posted on 02/27/2025 12:37:25 AM PST by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: minnesota_bound

There have been malicious software repositories at GitHub.


23 posted on 02/27/2025 1:18:37 AM PST by linMcHlp
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