Isn't that the old trick: download this “suspicios.zip,” unzip it, and click on “backdoor.exe”? Except that in this case, the backdoor code wasn't hidden in the binary - it was open-source, which is why an AI was able to detect it.
PS I think "smello" is really not a good name for a startup.
AI is the new outsourcing. It is cheap in the short term, but in the medium to long term it generates many problems, like loss of know-how and competitivness, huge maintenance cost, loss of control, and dependency on other foreign companies, with misaligned goals compared to your company.
Before using AI ask yourself: Would you outsource this task, with all the risk that come with it? If yes, go for it. But if no, then don‘t use AI.
Why do we need age verification tech in the first place? We also don‘t have speed verification tech on the streets, but we have speed limits everywhere.
A benevolent dictatorship is probably more effective. However most dictatorships are not benevolent. And once you have voted for a benevolent dictator you can't get rid of him anymore if he stops being benevolent. So a dictatorship is always a trap in the long term.