Kerby Anderson

Much has been written about the future impact of artificial intelligence, but today I would like to talk about how AI can be used right now against you. Three types of AI scams are here, and you need to be prepared.

The first is the deepfake video. These phony videos aren’t just being used in social media to get us to laugh. They are already being used to influence you to do something that could cost you lots of money. Criminals can use AI to superimpose a someone’s likeness on to a video. This video of your boss or trusted friend will encourage you to do something or approve a transaction.

A second is AI voice cloning. AI just needs a few seconds of a person’s voice to create a full digital replica. Then AI can mimic the voice that has the person’s unique pitch, cadence, and inflection. And it can even fake certain emotions (panic, urgency, distress). The voice could be an urgent plea from a child or grandchild. It could be a verbal order from your superior to transfer funds to a specific account.

A third is phishing. We are all familiar with this weapon, but AI can make it more convincing. We know not to send money to the prince in Nigeria. But AI can write perfectly worded emails that also pull together detailed information from your social media profiles. No longer are these “Dear Sir” emails. These are personalized messages that look real and are engineered to seduce you into responding.

How should we respond? One of my favorite phrases is, “trust but verify.” In this case, don’t even trust, but especially verify. Call back on another phone line. Check with a fellow worker. If contacted by a family member, ask for the family “safe word.” Be vigilant and discerning.