News/Fake News
Iran Exploits AI to Create Fake News Sites Targeting US Voters
Microsoft has uncovered alarming evidence of Iranian state-sponsored groups using artificial intelligence to create fake news sites aimed at influencing US voters ahead of the 2024 election. This revelation comes amid growing concerns about foreign interference in democratic processes and the potential misuse of AI technologies. The AI-powered disinformation campaign: Microsoft alleges that Iranian actors are leveraging generative AI to create convincing fake news articles on professional-looking websites targeting both liberal and conservative audiences in the United States. Two examples of these fake news sites are "Nio Thinker," which appears to cater to left-leaning readers, and "Savannah Time," which purports...
read Aug 10, 2024The Scariest AI-Powered Cyber Threats Presented at Black Hat 2024
The Black Hat 2024 cybersecurity conference highlighted a range of emerging digital threats, from election interference to innovative hacking techniques, underscoring the evolving landscape of cybersecurity challenges faced by individuals, businesses, and governments alike. Election integrity under siege: The looming threat of AI-assisted misinformation campaigns targeting the 50 major elections scheduled for 2024 has become a primary concern for cybersecurity experts and election officials worldwide. Researchers and security professionals at Black Hat emphasized the potential for AI technologies to create and spread highly convincing false information at an unprecedented scale and speed. The intersection of advanced AI capabilities with social...
read Aug 8, 2024AI-Generated Obituary Spam Sites Exploit Grief for Ad Revenue
Obituary spam sites, fueled by AI-generated content, have become a lucrative business for ad tech companies, raising ethical concerns and causing distress to families of the deceased. This practice exploits the deaths of ordinary individuals for ad revenue, highlighting the darker side of online advertising and content generation. The rise of obituary spam: AI-powered websites are churning out inaccurate and often disturbing obituaries, targeting not just celebrities but everyday people, in a bid to generate ad revenue. Watchdog organization Check My Ads has traced the ad exchanges profiting from these spam sites, revealing a complex network of digital advertising players....
read Aug 7, 2024Conspiracy Theorists Think Biden Has Been Replaced by AI
AI conspiracy theories target President Biden: A new wave of unfounded claims suggests that President Joe Biden has been replaced by artificial intelligence, building on older conspiracy theories about body doubles but incorporating cutting-edge technology. Social media platforms have become breeding grounds for these theories, with one influencer's post about supposed AI glitches during a Biden broadcast garnering 78,000 views. These claims persist despite being consistently debunked by journalists present at events and professional fact-checkers. The conspiracy theories range from assertions that Biden has died to claims that AI and holograms are being used to simulate his continued presence and...
read Aug 7, 2024Secretaries of State Demand Action in Grok Misinformation Spreading
Election officials raise alarm over AI chatbot misinformation: Five secretaries of state have voiced serious concerns about Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok spreading election misinformation on X, formerly known as Twitter. The officials sent a letter to Musk on Monday, highlighting that Grok provided incorrect ballot deadlines which were subsequently shared across social media platforms, potentially reaching millions of users. The false information persisted for 10 days before being corrected, raising questions about the speed and efficacy of error detection and correction mechanisms in AI-powered information systems. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon emphasized the critical importance of voters receiving...
read Jun 27, 2024Deceptive “AI Washing” Trend Threatens Trust in Genuine AI Innovation
The rise of "AI washing" is causing companies to overstate their AI capabilities, potentially eroding trust and making it harder for investors to identify truly innovative firms. Key Takeaways: AI washing refers to companies making over-inflated claims about their use of AI, such as using less sophisticated computing while claiming to use AI or overstating the effectiveness of their AI solutions. The phenomenon is driven by competition for funding and the desire to appear cutting-edge, with the percentage of tech start-ups mentioning AI in their pitches rising from 10% in 2022 to an expected 35% in 2024. The lack of...
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