Our thinking

Honesty is the best policy

15 November, 2024

72% of people are worried about deepfakes, according to the 2024 Microsoft Global Online Safety Survey. Interestingly, this time it’s not outsiders raising alarms about the immense actual and potential impact of AI, but one of the tech giants themselves—Microsoft—voicing very serious concerns. Microsoft is calling for more regulation to combat four key issue areas which fraudsters are already abusing. These include financial scams using deepfake celebrities to endorse fake products, content misleading the public around elections and sexually explicit fake images to humiliate individuals. While they are taking their own action against generative AI abuse, they state that there is only so far as a tech company that they can go. We need public awareness, so that people can protect themselves, and clear legislative penalties to criminalise abuse. To read more about the concerns and action called for, please read the summary or the Whitepaper.

I’m sure we’re not the only ones who have joined the 72% concerned. However, in a world where the public are feeling more and more disenfranchised with politics, industry and the media, it’s refreshing to hear of a company displaying honestly when it comes to risks surrounding their own products and the complex issues around them. Microsoft lay out within the Whitepaper serious risks of AI abuse, with no sugar-coating. We’re hopeful that with an industry giant like Microsoft heading up the regulatory campaign, including raising public awareness, meaningful action will be made and online safety will be improved going forwards.

By Anna Heis