Imagine your favorite actor promoting an investment that sounds too good to be true. It looks real, sounds real – but is it? The dark potential of artificial intelligence (AI) takes deception to a whole new level, making it almost impossible to distinguish reality from fiction.
Christian Sievers: A victim of digital mimicry
“The guy looks like me, sounds (almost) like me. But it's not really me...” With such a comment, the German ZDF “heute journal” presenter Christian Sievers drew attention to a particularly dangerous online scam : a video that supposedly shows him advertising a “lucrative investment.” Behind this realistic fake? Artificial intelligence.
Cheap, simple and convincing: AI at the service of fraudsters
Tools like Eleven Labs and Hey Gen are revolutionizing the art of online fraud. Convincing fake videos or voices can be generated for little money. The dark side of technological progress has long since found its way into the criminal underworld.
Scams vary regionally
Although this technology is already widely used in countries like Germany, Austria does not yet appear to be completely in the sights of these new scammers. But there are also increasing signs here that AI-supported fraud is no longer just a distant threat.
Man: Still the weakest link
Our curiosity, our trust, our hopes - all these human qualities can be exploited by fraudsters. Whether in a private or professional context, human weaknesses remain the linchpin for successful fraud.
How can we protect ourselves?
A healthy level of distrust is key. Klaus Steinmaurer and Thorsten Behrens agree: Skepticism and a critical examination of all online information are more important than ever today.
Conclusion
The line between reality and fiction is becoming increasingly blurred in the digital world. AI has the potential to enrich our lives in many ways, but it also poses dangers. We must be vigilant, educate ourselves and ensure that we are not among those deceived by this sophisticated form of fraud. The Internet offers us endless possibilities – both for better and for worse. It is up to us to distinguish the truth from the deception.
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Also read: Fact check: Half a degree, a big difference - How the world's climate is on the brink
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )