Today, my dad got a phone call no parent ever wants to get. He heard me tell him I was in a serious car accident, injured, and under arrest for a DUI and I needed $30,000 to be bailed out of jail.
But it wasn't me. There was no accident. It was an AI scam.
I'm not sure it was a coincidence that this happened just days after my voice went up on television. Fifteen seconds of me talking. More than enough to make a decent AI clone.
As a consumer protection lawyer, I've literally given presentations about this exact sort of scam, posted online about it, and I've talked to my family about it, but they still almost fell for it. That's how effective these scams are. Please spread the word to your friends and family.
All of this is just a further reminder that we need leaders who will prioritize regulating the AI industry. The world is going to be radically transformed by this technology and we need to act now to ensure that it makes the world better and not worse
Chip in here if you want to support a candidate for public office who is going to prioritize addressing transformative AI technology
secure.anedot.com/jay-shooster-f…
One of the cruel ironies here is that several folks on here are accusing me of making this up, and thanks to AI, it's going to be harder than ever for people to know what the truth is about situations like these. Very scary times.
And for the record, my sister who was with my dad and overheard the call, described this scam as "one of the worst experiences of her life"
Aside from supporting my campaign, I'd encourage folks to consider supporting legislation like #SB1047 in California, which @GavinNewsom can sign into law. It's not specific to scams/deepfakes but it will help make sure AI companies are liable for the harms their products cause.
Also, check out this new article by my friend in the New York Times today about the need to protect whistleblowers at AI companies.
A very sad side-effect of this voice-cloning tech is that now people in *real* emergencies will have to prove their identities to their loved ones with passwords etc.
Can you imagine your parent doubting whether they're actually talking to you when you really need help?
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