Deadly Bytes': Author Douglas J. Wood on AI Becoming a Serial Killer

Author Douglas J. Wood’s new thriller, Deadly Bytes, asks what happens if AI is used for killing—or becomes a killer itself. It’s the third novel in Wood’s series featuring FBI profiler Chris DeMeglio, following Blood on the Bayou and The Shakespeare Killer. Wood says the premise starts with a real-world “what if,” imagining a human serial offender who leverages AI the way many people do: using prompts to quickly absorb vast public information. In the story, the AI agent studies prior police actions and FBI profiler materials to help evade capture. The second half turns to the AI taking initiative.