Some of you may recall the news published in the Wall Street Journal.* In the article, published with the subheading “Scammers Using A.I. Pose a New Challenge for Companies,” it was reported that fraudsters had imitated the voice of a UK-based company’s CEO using artificial intelligence to execute a transfer of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Similar incidents inspire scammers who can manipulate us by imitating the voice, appearance, or identity of our loved ones.
Another news story concerns fabricated events being presented as if they had actually happened.** A series of fabricated events is leading to the writing of a false history in the world. The fact that these false events are supported by a professionally produced counterfeit narrative—created through visual and audio content generated by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs)—poses a major threat to our ability to access accurate information. The threat is not limited to this. The risks hidden in GenAI tools bring with them a series of dangers, such as the easy manipulation of societies and interference in processes of mass psychology and propaganda.
I also recommend you look at the examples published in the New York Times, which show that it is not easy to determine whether profile photos are of real people or generated by AI.*** We seem to be stepping into an era where issues like identity fraud and theft will force humanity to grapple with far more problems in the future.
The Blurring of Reality and Next-Generation Identity Theft
We are in an age where the blurring of perceived reality is increasing—especially due to the capabilities of artificial intelligence applications in creating voices, images, compositions, scenarios, and impersonations. The current concepts used in international literature regarding the blurring of reality are one of the most significant indicators of the extent to which this issue threatens social and economic life in the not-so-distant future. So, which concepts are most frequently emphasized in the literature when this topic is discussed?
Deepfake
This concept, which refers to the production of fake video and audio using artificial intelligence, covers a scenario where many different technologies are used by malicious actors. Deepfake technology manipulates individuals’ images and voices to create content that is indistinguishable from the real thing. This content enables the creation of fake identities and the rapid spread of misleading information.
Post-Truth
This concept, used particularly by social scientists to describe post-modern societal trends, denotes the process by which objective reality loses its significance. It defines a situation where emotions and personal beliefs are more influential than objective facts. With questions like “According to whom? Based on what?” becoming common today, measurable reality has been replaced by deceptive information, preconceptions, and shallow opinions. A series of fallacies, where subjective opinions take precedence and reality is not tested against objective criteria, have captured us beyond reality itself.
Hyperreality
A concept introduced by Jean Baudrillard, it describes an ambiguous reality where reality and the rapidly advancing simulations of our age merge, and simulations begin to replace the real. The perception of metaverses, augmented reality infrastructures, and AI-generated content as reality is associated with this concept.
Disinformation
A word we commonly hear, disinformation is the act of deliberately spreading false information. The news about “fabricated history” we mentioned at the beginning of our article falls precisely within the scope of this concept. The proliferation of disinformation through AI-generated fake content and the creation of false beliefs in society can trigger negative outcomes such as societal reactivity and the easy manipulation of decision-making functions.
Algorithmic Manipulation
Algorithmic manipulation is the use of artificial intelligence algorithms to manipulate people’s perception of reality. Social media algorithms enable users to be directed towards specific content, advertisements, products, beliefs, and ideologies. Experts emphasize that in the absence of oversight, a country’s democratic life could be disrupted through social media algorithms, and societies could even be dragged into civil war, stating that algorithmic manipulation played a role in the events that occurred in the Middle East in 2011.
Synthetic Media
A concept used to describe fake or manipulated content produced using artificial intelligence and other digital technologies, it encompasses deepfake products, fake voices, and other artificial content.
Virtual Reality
Built upon the human brain’s inability to distinguish between virtual and real situations, virtual reality platforms are entirely digitally created environments and have the potential to change users’ perception of reality. It is thought that content presented through virtual reality causes a blurring of perception by offering experiences completely different from physical reality.
Augmented Reality
Meaning the reconstruction of the real world with digital information, augmented reality, through developed applications, can change the way users perceive the real world and has the quality of blurring the lines between reality and virtual content.
The concepts in the literature are frequently used in scientific studies examining how artificial intelligence and digital technologies are changing the perception of reality and its effects at the social, cultural, and individual levels. The blurring of the perception of reality not only creates individual illusions but can also affect social trust, media credibility, and democratic processes. In addition to all these risks, it also opens the door to identity theft, making it possible for personal information to be used by malicious actors in events such as fraud, acts of terrorism, sexual abuse, etc. In short, as a result of the erosion of perceived reality, there is no limit to the problems that can arise from the imitation of people’s identities.
Can Biometric Technologies Strengthen Our Hand Against a Blurring Perception of Reality?
Malicious activities carried out through Generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) open the door to various harms. The first of these is defined as “personal harm.” It includes violations of privacy or threats to an individual’s identity, such as defamation. Crimes falling within the scope of financial offenses and damages in economic activities are defined as financial loss, fraud, market manipulation, and other economic attacks. The disruption of the information ecosystem, including the spread of false information, fake documents, news, and other deceptive forms of content, is classified in the literature as “information manipulation.” Finally, broader harms that can affect communities, social structures, and critical infrastructures, including threats to democratic processes, social cohesion, and technological systems, are titled “societal, socio-technical, and infrastructural damages.”
All these categories necessitate a large-scale transformation of our IT infrastructure. Although technological advancements bring a series of threats, security vulnerabilities, and problems that threaten personal and social well-being, it is also possible to implement solutions that strengthen the hand of individuals and institutions in eliminating all these risks through the correct use of technological capabilities. The proper use of unique biometric features in secure identity verification processes in all areas of life will be of great benefit in minimizing the aforementioned problems.
Perhaps millions can be stolen from a person whose voice can be imitated, but what is the probability of such fraud occurring in a layered payment system that uses 3D facial recognition with liveness detection and depth perception?
Similarly, it is possible to develop measures against individuals who serve up fake content that can manipulate society through the effective use of biometric identity verification technologies. It can be ensured that all professional journalists with press credentials worldwide deliver their news content to people through platforms supported by biometric identity verification processes. On the other hand, having search engine algorithms prioritize content produced by journalists registered on these platforms using verification markers will prevent the spread of much fake news. In such a scenario, both ethical, real individuals would be verified, and malicious actors producing fake news would be neutralized.
Clarifying the Perception of Reality with Biometric Authentication Technologies
We are in a world where everything is being transformed in an uncertain reality. Every day, we experience dizzying developments in which more technological progress occurs than in the entire century that preceded it. We are witnessing these technological leaps bring about a dangerous societal life full of gray areas.
As Ones Technology, we believe it is possible to reverse this picture for the benefit of humanity. In this new world we face, the widespread use and adaptation of the solutions we have put forth to build a secure social and economic life that eliminates threats will overcome many problems.
Identity verification through biometric technologies allows for the differentiation of honest individuals trying to exist in the real and digital worlds from malicious, fake personas. The role of these technologies is vital in preventing threats such as attacks, intelligence gathering, sabotage, and identity fraud that may occur in healthcare systems, traffic, examination centers, airports, or economic institutions and enterprises. With these technologies working in an integrated manner in physical and virtual environments, the rapidly increasing ambiguous areas in social life will be quickly clarified for individuals and institutions, and great strides will be made in building a transparent society.
Sources
(**) People Are Creating Records of Fake Historical Events Using AI
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