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You can’t predict exactly when it’s going to happen, but at some point, it will be clear You can’t predict exactly when it’s going to happen, but at some point,…
From trains in the 1825 to Y2K, every generation has a perceived threat from technological advancement. In most cases, our fears are alleviated once research tells us that we never had anything to worry about, or that the issues have been resolved. In 2025, we have many. Unfortunately, one is as dangerous, if not more so, than we think it is. Regardless of the angle you analyze it from, AI’s bad reputation is earned.
There are many reasons to refrain from personal use of AI, but it’s becoming unavoidable. For example, when you use Google Search, it automatically presents you with compiled results from many sources using AI. It can be helpful, but it frequently gives incomplete or incorrect information. Now, AI is also being used to scam innocent, unsuspecting people. However, we can protect ourselves, and the best way to do that is by being informed.
Perhaps the most dangerous are deepfakes. Deepfakes are AI generated video or audio that seem legitimate. A visual effects artist, Chris Umé, made Tom Cruise deepfakes about four years ago, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwOywe7xLhs. Since then, technology has become more realistic and will continue to evolve. It’s important to dig deeper and not accept things at face value.
We are familiar with phone scams, but they have become more advanced with the invention of voice cloning, a type of deepfake. All scammers need is three seconds of audio to effectively clone yours or your loved one’s voice. If you’ve ever had your voice posted on the internet, they already have it. This, in collusion with the ability to call from any number, including ones you have saved, makes these scams very believable and convincing. You can find more information here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-scam-voice-cloning-rising/
There are many stories of mothers receiving panicked phone calls from their children saying that they’re in distress and need money. From car trouble to kidnapping, scammers will use anything to make you panic and act quickly. The best thing to do in this situation is hang up and call your loved ones directly. It’s recommended you and your loved ones agree on a code word or phrase to use for emergencies and additional verification. An local news station reported on an instance of this two years ago: https://abc7news.com/post/ai-voice-generator-artificial-intelligence-kidnapping-scam-detector/13122645/.
Another example is phishing scams. These have been around for a number of years, but AI changes the landscape. By using generative AI like ChatGPT, scammers can easily create text that sound like they came from banks, government agencies, or internet/phone providers. A good rule is if you’re not sure, search the internet for the organizations phone number and call them directly, or consider saving those phone numbers. DCU.org summarizes this here: https://www.dcu.org/financial-education-center/fraud-security/artificial-intelligence-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them.html
Even to a well-trained eye, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to decipher AI from reality. The good news is a lot of advice for avoiding the scams of the past still apply here. A scammer will still try to use urgency and deadlines to illicit an emotional, illogical reaction. Our best defense is to be skeptical and ask questions. You can read more about how to protect yourself and loved ones here: https://it.wisc.edu/news/ai-powered-scams-how-to-protect-yourself-2024/
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/tech/tom-cruise-deepfake-tiktok-company
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-scam-voice-cloning-rising
Recommended Readings:
https://us.norton.com/blog/ai/is-ai-dangerous
https://us.norton.com/blog/ai/ai-scams
https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/risks-of-artificial-intelligence
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