Lawmakers warn about A.I. scams, ‘deep fake’ technology

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - Lawmakers have been sounding the alarm over artificial intelligence.

Lawmakers said they were concerned about how the technology could be used to scam families if safeguards weren’t implemented.

A discussion was scheduled for Monday regarding A.I. speech software at 11 a.m. at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he will join State Sen. James Maroney to warn the public about the prevalence of A.I. speech software being used to perpetuate scams and create “deep fake” audio clips.

They described “deep fake” as a video of a person whose face or body has been digitally altered to appear to be someone else and it’s typically used maliciously or to spread false information.

Blumenthal said the technology is concerning because it can trick or deceive people into making a person believe they are speaking with a real person when they are not.

That can leave unsuspecting victims susceptible to crimes, including identity theft or financial harm.

Tech CEOs have traveled to Capitol Hill to urge members of Congress to regulate their industry, which Blumenthal said showed the gravity of the situation.

Law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission recently stated their concerns after an increase in fraud and scams that used voice cloning software.

Blumenthal sent a letter to five A.I. speech software companies and urged them to take immediate action to prevent abuse by implementing safeguards.

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