Technology | SABC News anchors used in deep fake videos: Moshoeshoe Monare

Summary

The script discusses deepfake videos falsely claiming to be SABC news anchors endorsing an investment scheme by Elon Musk. These scams, circulating on social media, promise high returns with minimal investment, alarming the government and banks. SABC anchors and an AI expert warn the public against falling for such scams, emphasizing the importance of verifying information and being cautious of AI's potential misuse. The conversation highlights the need for public awareness and the challenges in combating deepfake technology.

Takeaways

• 🚫 Fake videos are circulating on social media, falsely claiming to be advertisements by Elon Musk for a get-rich-quick scheme.
• 💸 These deepfake videos claim that one can earn up to 30,000 Rand a day or more with minimal investment, enticing viewers with the promise of wealth.
• 🔊 The fake ads are primarily spreading through Facebook and YouTube, leveraging the perceived credibility of well-known figures and institutions.
• 😡 SABC news anchors have been impersonated in these scams, causing concern for their reputation and the trust of the public in the news organization.
• 🏦 The government and major banks have been alarmed by the project, indicating the potential for widespread impact and harm.
• 🤖 The scam involves the use of artificial intelligence for trading in stock and cryptocurrency markets, with a minimum investment requirement to participate.
• 📢 A SABC group executive emphasizes the fake nature of these videos and warns the public not to fall for the scam, stating it goes against their editorial policy.
• 🔍 The difficulty in tracing the source of these deepfakes is highlighted as a significant concern, making it hard to stop their spread.
• 🛑 The public is advised to be cautious and not to invest in such schemes, especially when they seem too good to be true.
• 🔑 Simple verification methods such as checking email addresses and not engaging with requests for personal information are suggested to avoid scams.
• 🛡️ The conversation underscores the need for public awareness and education on how to identify and avoid falling victim to deepfake technology and scams.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script regarding social media?

The main issue discussed is the circulation of deepfake videos on social media, falsely claiming to be advertisements by Elon Musk for a get-rich-quick scheme, which has alarmed the government and major banks.

What is the claim made by the deepfake videos about the investment project?

The deepfake videos claim that people can make as much as 30,000 Rand a day or more by investing in Elon Musk's purported project, which promises to turn anyone into a millionaire within five to six months with minimal investment.

How are these deepfake videos being distributed, according to the script?

The deepfake videos are primarily being distributed on social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.

What is the reaction of the SABC news anchors to the deepfake videos?

The SABC news anchors are alarmed and concerned about the misuse of their likeness and voice in these videos, fearing it could damage their credibility and the public trust in the institution.

What is the advice given by the SABC group executive for news and current affairs regarding these videos?

The SABC group executive advises the public not to invest in the schemes promoted by the deepfake videos and emphasizes that SABC news and its employees do not endorse such products or investments.

What is the role of AI in creating these deepfake videos?

AI, specifically deepfake technology, is used to create realistic but fake videos by using computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing to manipulate existing footage or images of people.

What are some of the challenges in tracing and stopping the spread of these deepfake videos?

The challenges include the difficulty in tracing the source of the videos, the inability to block them effectively as they keep popping up in different forms, and the misuse of public figures' credibility.

What precautions can the public take to avoid falling for such scams?

The public should verify the authenticity of information, look for inconsistencies in voice and image quality, check the legitimacy of email addresses and links, and avoid sharing personal information or investing in unsolicited offers.

What is the potential impact of deepfake technology on individuals' privacy and reputation?

Deepfake technology can invade privacy by creating composite profiles from online data and can damage reputations by placing individuals in fake scenarios or contexts, potentially affecting job opportunities or personal relationships.

How can technology companies and policymakers address the issue of deepfakes?

They can work on developing and implementing tools to detect and prevent deepfake content, establish regulations and policies against the misuse of such technology, and promote public awareness and education on the risks of deepfakes.

What is the importance of maintaining a balance between technology and personal space in the digital world?

Maintaining a balance is crucial to protect individuals' privacy, autonomy, and security in the digital world, ensuring that technology serves to empower rather than exploit or harm users.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Warning Against Fake Elon Musk Investment Ads 🚨

The video script discusses the emergence of deepfake videos on social media, falsely claiming to feature SABC news anchors endorsing a fraudulent investment project by Elon Musk. The ads, circulating on Facebook and YouTube, promise high returns with minimal investment, and mention that prominent individuals have supposedly invested. The script emphasizes that these videos are fake and that the news anchors and the government are alarmed by this scam. The anchors urge the public not to invest and to be wary of such scams, highlighting the difficulty in tracing the source of these deepfakes and the potential damage to the credibility of public figures and institutions.

05:01

📢 Public Broadcaster's Response to Deepfake Scams 📢

This paragraph outlines the SABC group executive's reaction to the deepfake videos, expressing concern about the misuse of their colleagues' faces and voices to gain public trust. The executive discusses the challenges of tracing the source of these scams and the potential impact on the credibility of the news organization and its anchors. The response includes a public statement to clarify that SABC does not endorse any products or investment schemes and urges the public not to invest in such fraudulent opportunities. The importance of educating the audience about the dangers of deepfakes and maintaining the integrity of the news organization is emphasized.

10:02

🔍 Strategies for Identifying and Combating Deepfakes 🔍

The script continues with an interview with an AI expert, Lavina Ramis, who advises on how to verify information and combat misinformation, particularly deepfakes. She suggests looking for inconsistencies in voice and image quality as indicators of AI-generated content and emphasizes the importance of verifying links and email addresses. Ramis also discusses the broader implications of AI technology, such as web scraping and the creation of composite profiles from online data, which can be used maliciously. The conversation touches on the need for more AI companies to focus on preventing cyber attacks and deepfake scams, and the importance of users being vigilant about their digital footprints and privacy.

15:04

🛡️ Protecting Against AI-Powered Scams and Privacy Invasion 🛡️

The final paragraph delves into the potential consequences of AI technology misuse, such as the impact on personal privacy and the potential for it to be used in scams. The discussion includes the role of policy makers in addressing these issues and the need for individuals to take control of their digital presence. Suggestions are made for individuals to be cautious about sharing personal information and to be aware of the technology that could be used to invade privacy. The conversation concludes with a call for balance between human and machine interactions and the importance of user consent in the digital space.

Keywords

💡Deepfakes

Deepfakes are synthetic media in which a person's likeness is superimposed onto another person's body with the use of artificial intelligence. In the video, deepfakes are used to create fake advertisements featuring SABC news anchors, falsely endorsing an investment project by Elon Musk, which is a central theme of the video's warning against misinformation and scams.

💡Elon Musk

Elon Musk is a prominent entrepreneur and CEO known for his work in companies like Tesla and SpaceX. In the context of the video, his name and image are misused in deepfake videos to promote a fraudulent investment scheme, illustrating the video's theme of the misuse of reputable figures for scams.

💡Investment Scheme

An investment scheme refers to a plan or strategy for making money by investing in financial assets. The video discusses a fake investment scheme purportedly by Elon Musk, which promises high returns with minimal investment, highlighting the theme of caution against deceptive financial offers.

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The video script mentions AI in the context of deepfakes and also in relation to a fraudulent trading system, emphasizing the dual-use nature of AI for both beneficial and malicious purposes.

💡Scams

Scams are fraudulent schemes designed to deceive people, typically for personal gain. The video's main theme revolves around the exposure of a scam involving deepfakes, where news anchors are impersonated to promote a fake investment opportunity.

💡Public Trust

Public trust refers to the confidence that the public has in an institution or individual. The video discusses the impact of deepfakes on public trust, especially when reputable news anchors are implicated in fraudulent activities, which can damage the credibility of the institution they represent.

💡Credibility

Credibility is the quality of being trusted or believed. The script mentions the potential damage to the credibility of news anchors and the SABC broadcaster due to the misuse of their images in deepfake videos, which is a key concern in the video's narrative.

💡Misinformation

Misinformation is false or misleading information that is spread, often unintentionally. The video's theme includes the dangers of misinformation spread through deepfakes, which can lead to public deception and financial loss.

💡Stock and Cryptocurrency Markets

The stock and cryptocurrency markets are platforms where stocks and digital currencies are bought and sold. The video script refers to these markets as the domain where the fraudulent AI trading system supposedly operates, illustrating the theme of the deceptive use of financial markets in scams.

💡Legitimate

Legitimate refers to something that is in accordance with the law or with rules. The video emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate activities, particularly in the context of investment opportunities and the use of AI.

💡Trace

To trace means to find the origin or source of something. The script discusses the difficulty in tracing the origins of deepfake videos, which is a significant challenge in combating the spread of misinformation and scams.

Highlights

Social media is flooded with deepfake videos claiming to be SABC news anchors advertising a fake Elon Musk project.

These fraudulent ads promise high returns like 30,000 Rand a day, enticing viewers with the prospect of easy wealth.

The deepfake videos are being circulated primarily on Facebook and YouTube, exploiting the credibility of news anchors.

The fake project claims to turn anyone into a millionaire within months with minimal investment, a clear warning sign of a scam.

Government and major banks have been alarmed by the fraudulent Elon Musk project, indicating its potential impact.

The deepfake videos exploit public trust in news institutions, posing a significant concern for SABC.

SABC news anchors and the institution strongly deny any involvement in endorsing or advertising the fake project.

The inability to trace the source of these deepfakes is a major challenge, allowing them to continue deceiving the public.

SABC is taking steps to educate the public about the scam and to warn them against investing in such schemes.

Public broadcasters like SABC emphasize their commitment to credibility, accuracy, and the truth, distancing themselves from fraudulent endorsements.

AI expert Lavina Ramis discusses the role of AI in creating deepfakes and the challenges in verifying information.

Simple verification methods like checking email addresses and not engaging with requests for personal information are advised.

Deepfake technology combines computer vision, speech recognition, and NLP to create convincing but fake content.

The potential misuse of AI for scams and cyber attacks is a growing concern that needs to be addressed by tech companies and policymakers.

Individuals are encouraged to be hypervigilant about their online presence and to take control of their digital space.

The conversation highlights the need for a balance between the benefits and risks of AI technology in society.

SABC and experts call for collective action to combat deepfakes and protect the public from scams.

Transcripts

and now as mentioned earlier let's go to

this conversation there have been

several videos during the rounds on

social media purporting to be of some

sabc news anchors advertising a project

by Elon Musk now these ads are running

on Facebook and YouTube mostly now these

deep fakes claim you can make as much as

30,000 Rand a day and sometimes even

more and that some prominent business

people have already invested in this but

if you haven't seen them have a

look breaking news Elon musk's project

has has alarmed the government and major

Banks he has introduced a new secret

investment that has made hundreds of

people very rich last week he appeared

in public and announced his new project

which according to him can turn anyone

into a millionaire within five to six

months without any difficulties and with

minimal investment of

$250 the Innovative businessman urged

everyone to seize this incredible

opportunity and of course a few minutes

after the interview ended the government

called and requested that the interview

not be broadcast but it was too late I

am providing access to my platform for

my fellow countrymen where I come from

to get the system up and running a

minimum investment of $250 is required

this is the minimum amount at which the

system will start making profitable

trades in the stock and cryptocurrency

markets to gain access you need to

register on the official website wait

for a manager's call who will assist you

in the subsequent steps including

account funding and program setup no

longer need to work such a statement was

made by Elon Musk as he opens access to

his new development which generates

money automatically using artificial

intelligence as a Trader uh I am

providing access to my platform for my

fellow countrymen where I come from to

get the system up and running a minimum

investment of 4,700 Rand is required

this is the minimum amount at which the

system will start making profitable

trades in the stock and cryptocurrency

markets to gain access you need to

register on the official website wait

for a manager's call who will assist you

in the subsequent steps including

account funding and program

setup and we can tell you that these

videos are fake uh we certainly are not

as anchors even endorsing this we don't

even know what it's about but let's have

this conversation with sabc group

executive for news and current affairs M

who is joining us in studio thank you so

much for your time your reaction to the

videos cuz you've been seeing a lot of

them coming from us look my my reaction

is that um it's scary but uh of the most

concerning aspect of it is the fact that

they are using my colleagues faces and

voices knowing

that because they are from an

institution or a broadcaster with some

credibility where there is public trust

and my worri is one is that um anything

that then that public trust is affecting

us asbc news is affecting the anchors

who who are seen as leading journalist

who are seen as um you know um whatever

they express that there is should be

some legitimacy to it and the most

worrying thing I think is the fact that

we are in the era where we we we we we

want to see what is the good and um you

know the most benefiting about

artificial intelligence but the worest

one is that if artificial intelligence

is going to be abused this way um then

it really makes people to be skeptical

especially and the fact that there will

be the good and the positives that we

need to um Embrace and and and and and

and and accept and look as as we see um

news is that it's worrying because you

know for the first time when it happens

with one of our anchors on morning life

it's something that we investigated and

the most um difficult thing is the

inability to trace the inability to

trace the roots and the source and I

think that's the most dangerous thing

because they keep on

popping up and they are using or abusing

the vulnerability of members of the

public who are desperate to invest and

seeing the most credible public figures

like yourself um Elon Musk and other

colleagues and they think this is this

should be true and my worries one is

that also it Dent our credibility

because our brand is something that as a

public broadcaster something that people

trust and I wonder then um you know

because it's so difficult to trace what

do we do in in in such a situation as a

as a public

broadcaster look like I said it's a

difficult one because if you were able

to trace we will um actually block it I

remember um times ago um even before AI

um there used to be this kind of like um

scams coming through programmatic

advertising on um our previous online

Publications and you would block that

particular um

um you know advertising and it will just

pop up in a different manner look the

only thing that we we can do is to go

public about it tojust ens show and um

say to members of the public you know as

a public broadcaster or employees of

public broadcaster it's against our

editorial policy it's against our public

mandate to be advertising products

especially this kind of products on

behalf of people that actually we you

know it's it's just to educate it's just

to go on a on campaigns that really tell

um our audience to say we do not get

involved in this kind of things and

finally then let's reiterate the message

to someone at home who's sitting and is

probably thinking or has not even seen

it what do they do do they invest do

they not what does the public

broadcaster say directly to them the

sabc news will say to them we do not

propagate or we are not agencies or

agents of any product or any institution

that really says You must invest in this

product or that product you know we are

in the business of news and the um what

we do is based on credibility on

accuracy on um seeking the truth and on

the trust that we have built um

throughout the years between us and the

public and we would want to restore that

trust to say some of the videos that you

see where our employees or anyone

associated with us saying that invest in

that is not our policy and it's against

our editorial policy to call for people

to invest in in in such um schemes so

you've heard it first here again um

we're saying do not invest do not invest

in that the same way as Leanne of course

has been at pains to describe what has

been done to her as well do not invest

Iman is now the latest one who has been

used as well to try and sell this

particular scam purporting to be by Elon

Musk so you've heard it from us do not

invest please make sure that your

hardend money is not lost to these

criminals but let me thank you so much

for your time M that is sabc group

executive for news and current affairs M

and man is standing by to talk to an AI

expert about all of this and how it gets

done thanks buir so let's get that

specialist opinion for you now and

joining us is Lavina Ramis who is also

an advisor on all things AI uh related

for the African Union amongst others

Lina thank you very much for your time

this is really upsetting it's uh scary

and as you heard from our group head of

news there the questions being asked how

do we Trace its roots and

Source uh that's such a pertinent

question and uh firstly apologies and

you know my heart goes out to anyone uh

you know including uh the likes of the

sabc families that have been affected

you know in terms of these kind of

scenarios so you know to answer the

question I guess it's really around how

do we actually verify information and

how do we verify misinformation or how

do we verify the single source of truth

right um and this is such a prival role

that I think a media can play so we've

seen some interesting plays uh across

different media hazards um from simple

things like a verification badge or a

simple Watermark uh sort of scenario

that really depicts to is it uh content

that is created by humans versus is it

actually created by

AI it's very hard I think you know for

for those of us outside of the domain of

AI the languaging and uh you know the

technology Associated to be able to know

what to look out for we talk about

watermarks and verification badges um

just share with our viewers in plain

terms where and how they can find this

out yeah absolutely so I think um you

know let's start with just simple things

of a a tone so you know really look out

for the voice in a message and really

pay attention to is it as authentic uh

or is it not as authentic if you get an

initial feel uh that something's not

right uh simply just don't engage um

that's the first so voice the second is

from an image perspective really look to

tell if the image is race still like so

you know if that is very much the case

then uh that's generally a good

indication that it is AI generated um

you know other sort of aspects that you

can look out for is make sure that you

verify the links right uh just don't

click on something um you know if you

receive an email make sure that the

email address that you receive it from

is actually legitimate itself um you

know you've got to take your due

necessary process um you know from a

user perspective and uh take take back

that control and make sure as well um

whatever information you're actually

sharing on your web or on any sort of U

you know digital platform you actually

are aware what you're sharing at any

given point in time let make it really

simple Lina I'm so sorry to jump in

there because when you talk about

verifying the links what are the you

notable things you should look out for

in that email some of them really mimic

official credible emails quite

well yeah absolutely so things like uh a

proper email address we generally know

you know companies have uh either a. Za

at the end of it with their uh sort of

company name in the middle uh so that

should be like a standard uh you know

also if you're not sure of the domain or

their email uh domain Google it right um

go and have a look if uh their email

address says info@ sabc do. Za as an

example uh you know then you compare it

to that particular email address that

you're then seeing as as one example the

second would be um you know people that

request for any personal information

just simply never engage never divulge

whether it is from a bank whether it is

from an insurance company a Telco um

literally anyone right that's the first

the second I agree with everyone here

that really stipulated just simply don't

invest if anyone asks you for any type

of funding simply don't invest um and I

think those are simple things that you

could really do uh and you can never be

over overly cautious yeah there two

things I really want to get to hopefully

there's time that I think are important

that don't only focus on how this

technology facial recognition technology

can be used um to scam in this way um

the one is what is this technology that

makes us so possible in stuff that we

read we think about Clear View for

example cited in a couple of Articles

around um their capabilities for AI

scraping in other words whatever your um

internet or online presence is they can

create a composite by scraping

everything that's related to your ID and

build up a profile on you which also can

you know can potentially play into into

these scam so very quick word on this

technology this type of

Technology yeah it is something called

Deep fake technology and uh that

literally uses a bit of um you know

computer visioning which is part of AI

as well as speech recognition and NLP uh

and in a nutshell you know um it is

something that uh can be very

detrimental we've seen lots of cases uh

that actually depict to that um yeah so

from a technology perspective I would

actually also say the reverse is true as

much as it's detrimental why are we not

actually seeing enough companies or AI

companies coming up that actually helped

to prevent uh you know these sort of

cyber attacks or deep fake tax 24/7 in

terms of web scraping absolutely 100% uh

that is something that I I think policy

makers are working really hard at

actually you know uh getting rid off

completely and uh you know as you said

it actually does more detriment uh than

anything else so you know a user and

your thread of information becomes

really important if you've automatically

signed on using your Gmail account or

any other sort of account make sure that

you go in and un uh you log out as an

example um you know just never leave

your Wi-Fi on all the time connected to

your PC as an example there's just

simple little things that you've got to

just uh really take back full control so

much more that we've got to be

hypervigilant around and to close

reading and the daily Maverick did a

really great article in this uh this

could also have potentially devastating

consequences uh you know for something

as simple as being in a job interview

the recruiter cross references your

image from a Google search sees

potentially what your political and

other affiliations are and potentially

not give you the job if it conflicts

with their own beliefs and this stuff

talks about how invaded Our Lives can

become for this you know because of this

technology on the other hand yes it can

help law enforcement it can track and

Trace people around the world from a

traffic light to a store they might be

purchasing Goods in but when it comes to

this Invasion on our our private lives

and and you know us appearing uh in

places in other people's photographs

even um that becomes really quite

dangerous and

invasive yeah I think um you know that

intimate balance that we need to find

between man and machine uh is really

really important um there's something

called uh your you know your digital uh

space uh pretty much similar to your

personal space uh in the physical world

and uh that is becoming more and more uh

you know uh important and we've seen you

know the likes of uh a lot of what

happens in the physical world replicated

in the digital world and that's you know

yeah so we kind of really need to

balance that uh to our best ability and

I think this is why the trend thus far

is really headed towards empowering the

user and giving the user consent to

understand in real time uh you know only

for now for this Split Second I want to

share my bank details with my bank so

that I can get pre-approved loan as an

example post that pre-approved

once that's done the bank doesn't know

that I exist right so that's pretty much

where we need to be getting to and and

driving TOS in 30 seconds how can we

take this down our colleagues uh you

know all of our faces are emblazoned

across these um these little you know

these scams what can we do to get rid of

them yeah that's a that's a tough

question um I think it is obviously

contacting the websites directly uh you

know requesting for those sort of things

to happen uh forming uh you know some

sort of uh a Consolidated voice that

then uh you know goes to the likes of

The Regulators to then assist in

actually you know bringing that down um

yeah unfortunately that in itself is not

a very easy task I mean um I could be

really you know um you know play with

things at this point in time and say

maybe create an alternative AI but I

won't because that would be too

controversial um but yeah I mean uh I

think for now it's just you know try to

be as human as possible uh try to

connect as much uh you know try to

reason as much and um yeah I'm I'm sure

somewhere along the line we'll be able

to uh take all of this down so much

again left uh in this conversation that

we'd love to explore perhaps another

time thank you so much for yours

technologist for Africa and Technology

advisor to the African Union Lavina

ramun