Do You Know About This Terrifying Danger of Artificial Intelligence?
Imagine discovering that your daughter’s, or granddaughter’s, face had been digitally placed on someone else’s body and used to create pornographic images in her likeness. Imagine those images being shared across the world.
This isn’t a scare tactic; it’s happening. The technology is called deepfake—synthetic media that has been digitally manipulated to convincingly replace one person’s likeness with that of another. It is one of the most dangerous uses of artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence is computer systems mimicking human behavior. The technology operates by combining data with algorithms and is being utilized in healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, retail, entertainment… you name it.
The technology is here to stay and impacts our lives every day. Think you don’t utilize artificial intelligence? Have you bought items on Amazon and received purchase recommendations, used facial recognition on your phone, used voice-activated assistants such as Siri, or asked questions in an online chat? Then you’ve used artificial intelligence.
I want to share with you the things you need to know about artificial intelligence—not to make you fearful but to make you aware of the dangers.
First, be aware of the technological terms. Deepfake is a term you need to know because it’s dangerous and scary. This horrific technology is being used against everyone from celebrities like Taylor Swift to the average teen girl in your neighborhood.
At a New Jersey high school, a perpetrator allegedly used artificial intelligence to turn teenage girls’ selfies from social media into deepfake pornography. A teen and her mother shared the horrific story on Good Morning America.1
I actually had something like this happen to one of my daughters. Someone hacked into her social media accounts, changed her pictures online, and relentlessly harassed her. It was terrifying and invasive.
Deepfakes are fraught with fraudulent possibilities—not only for our young people but also for the upcoming 2024 election.
In late January, a fake robocall sounding like President Joe Biden’s voice asked Democratic voters in New Hampshire not to vote in the state’s primary election, reported USA Today.2
On February 8, the Federal Communications Commission issued a ruling to make AI-generated voices in robocalls illegal. “Those who break the law can face steep fines, maxing out at more than $23,000 per call, the FCC said,” stated a Guardian news story.3
“In just the first three weeks of 2024, lawmakers from both major parties have introduced legislation in at least 14 states to combat the kind of mis- and dis-information AI and deepfakes can create in elections,” according to an NBC news report.4
States are taking action to help stop the deceptions. Michigan is one of four states with deepfake legislation. Political ads must disclose that AI-generated images are being used, details ABC station WZZM, Channel 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.5
Scams and identity thefts are one of the biggest fears surrounding the new technology. I can tell you from personal experience how believable some of these things really are. Our son Tom shared an AI replication of our daughter Kirsten’s voice in our family’s private group text.
Tom took a 20-second sampling of Kirsten’s voice and wrote a script saying what a great brother he is and how Kirsten owes everything to him. I thought it was really Kirsten’s voice. Even I, her own mother, was misled. Tom made this AI voice to show us how easy it is to be deceived.
Some of this technology might sound scary, like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s real and happening now. For example, facial recognition is becoming commonplace in many industries.
On a recent trip to France, our boarding passes were our faces. We stood in front of a screen, and that reading gave us the ability to get on the plane. I’ve traveled and seen a lot of things, but this was actually quite shocking.
I could see how this technology could be misused to not allow you to buy or sell something. What if you’d spoken out against a government policy? A social credit score could be attached to your digital face reading to deny you access. Do you see how dangerous this could become?
These dangerous tactics are currently in place around the world, reports Jason Thacker, an assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky.
“AI is already being used to demean certain people and deny them fundamental human rights. Countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Egypt have deployed AI facial recognition systems to control political dissidents. But this same technology can also be used ethically to identify criminals, stop terrorist threats, and even allow you to pay for a meal at a KFC in China just by smiling at a camera.”6
Artificial intelligence, like any tool, can be helpful as well as harmful. Yes, technology enables us to share stories of transformed lives. We can use artificial intelligence to reach those across the world who have never heard or seen the Kingdom message.
“He said to them, ‘Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation’” (Mark 16:15, NIV).
Artificial intelligence offers everyday conveniences—but also opens the doors for corruption. As parents and grandparents, be aware of what these social media platforms mixed with AI can do to harm our families, children—and even our jobs, careers, businesses, and ministries.
What Can We Do?
- Educate yourself and others on how to identify and recognize deepfakes.
- Do your due diligence and listen to the Holy Spirit when something doesn’t seem quite right.
- Look for the source of the message and find the truth.
- Pray for discernment.
- Support legislation that protects the innocent and holds perpetrators accountable. We need Congressional laws to protect the innocent with all of this technology. I believe our Congress is way behind on measures to protect us. We need to hold accountable, in a very strong way, those who misuse technology to ruin lives.
“For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law” (Romans 2:12, ESV). - Fight for justice.
- Learn how to guard yourself and your family. Check your phone and social media settings to protect your privacy. Know how to manage cookies, clear browsing history, and block social media users you don’t want to see, suggests the American Academy of Pediatrics.7 If you don’t know how to set your privacy settings, find a friend or family member who can help you.
Endnotes
1. GMA Team and Suzanne Yeo, “Teen and mother speak out after alleged AI-generated photos sent around high school, ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Family/teen-mother-speak-after-alleged-ai-generated-photos/story?id=104653622, November 6, 2023
2. Natasha Lovato, “Could AI sway the 2024 election? Here’s what’s being done nationally to stop deepfakes,” USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/02/19/ai-deepfakes-2024-election/72486000007/, February 19, 2024
3. “US outlaws robocalls that use AI-generated voices,” The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/feb/08/us-outlaws-robocalls-ai-generated-voices, February 8, 2024
4. Adam Edelman, “States turn their attention to regulating AI and deepfakes as 2024 kicks off,” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/states-turn-attention-regulating-ai-deepfakes-2024-rcna13512, January 22, 2024
5. Julie Koharik, “Use your intuition | Artificial intelligence expert explains how to identify deepfakes ahead of 2024 election,” https://www.wzzm13.com/article/tech/artificial-intelligence-deepfakes-ahead-of-election/69-47ff4980-a7b7-45a8-8042-35e231905c41, February 6, 2024
6. Jason Thacker, “What does the Bible say about artificial intelligence?” https://www.zondervan.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-artificial-intelligence/
7. Tiffany Munzer, MD, FAAP, “How Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Affect Children?” HealthyChildren.org, https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/how-will-artificial-intelligence-AI-affect-children.aspx
