I’ve written a lot about Artificial Intelligence (or AI). Although I don’t understand it nor all of the ways AI can weave its way through our lives, the implications are frightening.
In an online article from Popular Science artificial intelligence is defined by Daniela Rus, director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT as a “field of study, much like chemistry or physics, that kicked off in 1956. Artificial intelligence is about the science and engineering of making machines with human-like characteristics in how they see the world, how they move, how they play games, even how they learn.” The goal for AI is to be able to do things such as recognize patterns, make decisions, and judge like humans.” Google Cloud offers more with information on the Types of Artificial Intelligence.
There are so many ways AI is being used to dupe people and give wrong information. The Grandparent Scam has taken on a new life because scammers can use the actual voice of the person claiming to need money. All they need is a short audio clip (what’s on YOUR social media?) and the voice can be edited into the call. The Federal Trade Commission gives tips for dealing with this scam. Don’t rush to send money. Check on your loved one first. Have a code word that only family knows to be used in an emergency.
Romance Scams are also more sophisticated thanks to AI. Looking for the perfect person? They can be created! Just enter “online AI generator” in your web browser and see what comes up. Many of the AI generators are free. Read about precautionary things to consider in this article from KSL TV.
AI can generate entire videos called ‘deep fake’ videos. (It’s kind of like video Photoshopping.) Want an entire deep fake video? You can create that, too. YouTube has “I Learned to Make Deep Fakes…and the Results are Terrifying”. Watch it. To see how disturbingly real these can be, check out “Keanu Reeves’ Deep Fake is FREAKING Everyone Out” on YouTube. There are others. Search for ‘deep fake videos’.
“What are deep fakes…and how do you spot them?” is a sobering look at how easily we can be fooled and what might tip us off that the video is fake. There are some things to look for such as eyes that may be a little off or hands that have odd features on the fingers, or skin tones that are uneven or too reflective.
We must be even more vigilant as technology advances far more quickly than our morals and sense of ethics. It is ALWAYS healthy to ask questions and to look into information we are given. Is it accurate? Is there ANY truth to it? Does it blindly feed into our emotions? Is the video clip consistent visually? Are you getting your news from social media? Be skeptical. It may not be real.
We’re not being paranoid if they really are out to get us. Scammers are out to get us.
Stay safe.
