Artificial intelligence is advancing by leaps and bounds, but not only to create art or improve processes. Cybersecurity experts warn of an increase in scams where voices and images of celebrities like Ariana Grande and Rihanna are cloned. These imitations are almost perfect, making it easy for anyone to fall for a fake message or call asking for money or personal data.
Voice and video deepfakes: the new standard of digital deception 🎭
The technology behind these scams uses voice synthesis models like Tacotron or WaveNet, capable of replicating timbres and intonations with just a few seconds of real audio. Added to this is video generation with generative adversarial networks, which synchronize lips and facial gestures. Scammers no longer need large servers; they process these forgeries in the cloud or even on domestic hardware, making detection a constant technical challenge.
My aunt already sent money to Rihanna on WhatsApp 😱
The worst part is that these forgeries are no longer limited to a poorly written text message. Now you receive a video of Rihanna asking for a loan for her new perfume, or Ariana Grande complaining that she lost her credit card. And of course, more than one person believes it and even feels special. Next time, if your favorite artist asks you for money, remember they are probably on tour, not asking for 50 euros for gas.