The Philippines has been active at the regional level in raising the need to tackle the threat posed by cybercriminals using deepfakes and generative AI (artificial intelligence) tools, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy said on Monday.
A scamdemic using deepfake and generative AI tools is now causing huge losses in different countries and the scourge must be addressed, Uy said in an interview during the first broadcast of Malacañang Insider.
Deepfake is a technology tool used to make something appear supposedly real. It is often used for voice and video images by replacing somebody else’s voice, video image, or photo over an existing image.
“Well, it’s a global concern actually. So, the scams are pervasive all over the world. And in fact, in the world, what I have seen from the statistics, for instance, Singapore, has the highest per capita loss in terms of scams. It’s on average 5,000 Singapore dollars,” Uy said during the interview.
“And so during our ASEAN ministerial meetings, we are one in raising these concerns, all throughout. Thailand is one of the highest scam incidents, number of incidents that’s occurring within the ASEAN region. So, of course, this is a very lucrative criminal activity, cybercrime has actually surpassed drugs in terms of profitability for the cybercriminals,” he said.
Cybercriminals using deepfakes are pouring huge amounts of resources to perpetuate illicit activities on various platforms through the use of scamming, phishing, ransomware, and more.
Deepfakes and generative AI tools are also threatening the electoral process when unscrupulous individuals use them for political gain, Uy said.
“Especially during elections, where they use them whether to malign or to discredit certain people by attributing quotations or phrases that are extremely unpopular and then making it appear that, that person uttered those statements. And that becomes even more destructive, if let’s say, they’re released, a few days before, people cast their ballot, so that there is no more time anymore, for the real person to say, ‘I never said that’,” he explained.
“So those are the things that we are seeing. [The] US elections coming up in November and we are seeing a proliferation on that, even in the United States and it would appear, even a first world country, like the United States is not really able to nip it or address it completely. There are still things popping up here and there.”
Uy said the DICT is working on a software and a platform that will be incorporated on the available government app to combat cybercrimes and misinformation.
He also called on legislators to enact laws against illicit online activities.
