World's Longest Serving Central Bank Chief Targeted by Deepfake
2024-02-05
Yahoo! Finance
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Scammers used an AI-generated deepfake video of Romania’s central bank governor Mugur Isărescu to pitch fraudulent investments, misleading citizens and undermining trust. The National Bank of Romania warned people that neither Isărescu nor the bank endorse any investment recommendations.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The deepfake video uses AI-generated synthetic media (image and voice) of the central bank governor to deceive viewers into investing in fraudulent platforms, directly causing harm through financial scams and misinformation. This meets the criteria of an AI Incident as the AI system's use has directly led to harm to individuals and communities by enabling fraud and disinformation. The involvement of AI in generating the deepfake is explicit, and the harm is realized, not just potential.[AI generated]