Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has drawn an unusual comparison between AI-powered hacking agents and cockroaches, warning that they can keep finding ways into systems despite efforts to stop them. Speaking at the Reuters Total Health event in Nashville, Cuban said AI could help businesses defend against automated cyberattacks.
Mark Cuban explains why AI hackers resemble cockroaches
Cuban used the example of a house being treated for cockroaches to explain how AI-powered attacks could work. Even after pest control measures, some cockroaches may still find a way inside, just as automated AI agents can repeatedly probe systems for weaknesses.
“The one thing I don't want is cockroaches in my house ever. But the cockroaches find a way to get in because there's zillions of them,” Cuban said, according to Reuters.
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He argued that businesses could respond by using AI to strengthen their defences and identify threats at scale.
“It's all brute force acts, and if it's brute force on that side with the bad guys, you can also use brute force with the good guys,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“It's all brute force acts, and if it's brute force on that side with the bad guys, you can also use brute force with the good guys,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}His comments highlight how AI can help both hackers find system weaknesses and businesses detect threats and strengthen their defences.
Mark Cuban's healthcare business expands beyond online pharmacy
Cuban, widely known for his appearances on the business reality show Shark Tank and his former ownership of the Dallas Mavericks, has also built a business in healthcare.
He co-founded Cost Plus Drugs in 2022, an online pharmacy that aims to make medicines more affordable through a transparent pricing model. The company generally adds a 15% markup to the price it pays for medicines, alongside other applicable costs.
It has since expanded into drug manufacturing. In 2025, the company began producing sterile injectable medicines used in hospitals at its own manufacturing facility.
Cuban said Cost Plus Drugs was developing portable, tractor-trailer-sized manufacturing units called “pods”. These could operate separately or together to produce different medicines, including generic drugs and treatments for rare diseases.
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He said the units could eventually allow medicines to be manufactured closer to where they are needed, including during disasters. However, the company still needs approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the pods, he said.
Cuban believes technology and new ways of manufacturing can help solve problems in cybersecurity and healthcare.