The Growing Threat of Unsecured AI - A Flood of Fake Videos and AI Agents

Written by: Susan Brown - Founder & CEO Zortrex - 28th December, 2024

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has opened doors to incredible advancements, but it has also created the potential for unprecedented harm. With the unchecked development of AI systems and a lack of robust data security, we face the real danger of AI-generated fake videos and agents flooding the digital landscape. If companies fail to prioritise security now, this threat could spiral out of control, creating consequences that are nearly impossible to contain.

Fake Videos: A Growing Epidemic

AI-powered tools, such as deepfake generators and advanced video editing platforms, are becoming more accessible and user-friendly. These tools have already demonstrated their ability to create realistic fake videos, but their potential impact is far more devastating:

1. Scale of Production AI systems can generate fake videos at an industrial scale. Once trained on large datasets, these systems can produce millions of convincing fake videos quickly and inexpensively, overwhelming traditional methods of verification.
2. Targeting Individuals Fake videos can be used to impersonate individuals, often with malicious intent. Celebrities, politicians, and even everyday people could find themselves victims of these digital forgeries, facing damaged reputations or financial loss.
3. Manipulating Public Opinion AI-generated videos could be weaponised to spread misinformation, incite conflict, or manipulate elections. In an era of widespread social media use, fake videos can go viral before they are debunked, amplifying their impact.
4. Exploiting Children’s Data Without robust safeguards, children’s photos and videos could be stolen, manipulated, and repurposed into harmful content. This not only invades their privacy but also poses risks to their safety and future.

AI Agents: Automated Havoc

AI agents, designed to act autonomously, present a parallel risk. These digital entities can operate around the clock, executing tasks such as generating fake content, disseminating disinformation, or impersonating individuals in real-time interactions.

1. Mass Production of Fake Content AI agents can create and distribute millions of fake videos, articles, and posts across platforms, making it difficult to distinguish real from fake.
2. Identity Theft AI agents equipped with advanced deepfake capabilities can impersonate individuals in video calls, emails, or social media, leading to scams, fraud, and other malicious activities.
3. Automated Harassment AI agents can be programmed to target individuals or organisations, spreading fake content or bombarding them with disinformation campaigns.

The Role of Data Security

The key to preventing the flood of fake videos and AI agents lies in data security. AI systems rely on raw data to function. If this data is not properly secured, it becomes a gateway for malicious actors to exploit.

1. Tokenisation and Encryption Sensitive data, such as photos and videos, should be tokenised or encrypted to ensure that raw data cannot be accessed or manipulated by AI systems.
2. Secure Development Practices Companies developing AI tools must prioritise security from the outset, incorporating measures to prevent their technology from being misused.
3. Real-Time Detection Systems AI-driven tools should be developed to detect and flag fake content in real-time, ensuring that platforms can quickly identify and remove harmful material.
4. Strict Data Governance Regulatory frameworks must enforce strict guidelines on how data is collected, stored, and processed, ensuring that user information is not left vulnerable.

The Cost of Inaction

Failing to secure AI systems and the data they rely on will result in:

1. Misinformation Overload A flood of fake videos will erode trust in digital content, making it harder for individuals to distinguish between fact and fiction.
2. Exploitation of Vulnerable Groups Children and other vulnerable populations will face increased risks as their personal data is exploited to create harmful content.
3. Global Instability AI-driven disinformation campaigns could destabilise economies, governments, and societies, creating widespread chaos.
4. Loss of Trust in AI As fake content becomes more prevalent, public trust in AI and digital platforms will deteriorate, undermining the potential benefits of AI advancements.

Securing the Future

The fight against fake videos and AI agents is a race against time. Companies, governments, and individuals must come together to establish and enforce robust security measures. Tokenisation and  ethical AI development are no longer optional, they are essential to safeguarding the digital world.

If these measures are not implemented now, we risk allowing AI to become a tool of widespread deception, exploitation, and harm. The stakes are too high to ignore. By securing data and prioritising ethical AI, we can prevent the flood of fake videos and AI agents, ensuring a safer and more trustworthy future for all.