Harm to individuals through fake content

Sub-category

Risk Domain

4Malicious Actors & Misuse

4.3Fraud, scams, and targeted manipulation

Using AI systems to gain a personal advantage over others such as through cheating, fraud, scams, blackmail or targeted manipulation of beliefs or behavior. Examples include AI-facilitated plagiarism for research or education, impersonating a trusted or fake individual for illegitimate financial benefit, or creating humiliating or sexual imagery.

"Malicious actors can use general- purpose AI to generate fake content that harms individuals in a targeted way. For example, they can use such fake content for scams, extortion, psychological manipulation, generation of non- consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or targeted sabotage of individuals and organisations."(p. 62)

Entity— Who or what caused the harm

Human

Due to a decision or action made by humans

AI system

Due to a decision or action made by an AI system

Other

Due to some other reason or is ambiguous

Intent— Whether the harm was intentional or accidental

Intentional

Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal

Unintentional

Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal

Other

Without clearly specifying the intentionality

Timing— Whether the risk is pre- or post-deployment

Pre-deployment

Occurring before the AI is deployed

Post-deployment

Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed

Other

Without a clearly specified time of occurrence

Supporting Evidence (2)

"Malicious actors can misuse AI- generated fake content to extort, scam, psychologically manipulate, or sabotage targeted individuals or organisations (see Table 2.1) (271). This threatens universal human rights, for example the right against attacks upon one’s honour and reputation (272). This section focuses on harms caused to individuals through AI- generated fake content. Potential impacts of AI- generated and - mediated influence campaigns on the societal level are covered in 2.1.2. Manipulation of public opinion."(p. 62)

"Scams / fraud Using AI to generate content such as an audio clip impersonating a victim’s voice in order to, for example, authorise a financial transaction. Blackmail / extortion Generating fake content of an individual, such as intimate images, without their consent and threatening to release them unless financial demands are met. Sabotage Generating fake content that presents an individual engaging in compromising activities, such as sexual activity or using drugs, and then releasing that content in order to erode a person’s reputation, harm their career, and/or force them to disengage from public- facing activities (e.g. in politics, journalism, or entertainment). Psychological abuse / bullying Generating harmful representations of an individual for the primary purpose of abusing them and causing them psychological trauma. Victims are often children."(p. 63)

Part of Risks from malicious use