INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security
74 % vulnerable to deepfakes finds survey in Mauritius , Egypt , Botswana , South Africa , Kenya
In a recent survey undertaken by KnowBe4 across 800 employees aged 18 – 54 in Mauritius , Egypt , Botswana , South Africa and Kenya , 74 % said that they had believed a communication via email or direct message , or a photo or video , was true when , in fact , it was a deepfake . Considering how deepfake technology uses both machine learning and AI to manipulate data and imagery using real-world images and information , it is easy to see how they were tricked . The problem is , awareness of deepfakes and how they work is very low in Africa and this puts users at risk . the boundaries of reality while the recent explosion of AI-powered intelligences like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion have made it harder than ever to distinguish between the work of a human versus that of a machine .
These are extraordinary and have immense positive potential but , as Anna Collard , SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa points out , there are some significant risks to businesses and individuals . situation , with 50 % saying they would give them the benefit of the doubt and 36 % saying they would believe it .
When people were asked to select clues that they thought would give away a fake , most said that the language , spelling , and expressions used would not be in the person ’ s usual style , 72 % or that the request was out of ordinary or unexpected , 63 %. If it was an audio or video file , they believed they could identify a fake
Deepfake technology has become so sophisticated that most people would find it challenging to spot a fake . Training and awareness have become critical . These are the only tools that will help users to understand the risks and recognise the red flags when it comes to faked photo and video content . They should also be trained to understand that they should not believe everything they see and should not act on any unusual instructions without first confirming they are legitimate .
Just over 50 % of respondents said they were aware of deepfakes , while 48 % were unsure or had little understanding of what they were . While a significant percentage of respondents were not clear as to what a deepfake was , most , 72 % said they did not believe that every photo or video they saw was genuine , which was a positive step in the right direction , even though nearly 30 % believed that the camera never lies .
The Top Risks Report 2023 by the Eurasia Group defined advances in deepfakes and the rapid rise of misinformation as weapons of mass disruption and it is not far from wrong . Advances in artificial intelligence , AI and powerful facial recognition and voice synthesis technologies have shifted
Interestingly , when asked if they would believe a video showing an acquaintance in a compromising position , even if this was out of character , most were hesitant to do so and nearly half , 49 % said they would speak to the acquaintance to get to the bottom of it . However , nearly 21 % said that they would believe it and 17 % believed a video is impossible to fake .
The response was similar when they were asked the same question , but of a video with a high-profile person in the compromising based on the words , tone and accent sounding unlike the person being emulated , 75 %, while 54 % said the speech would not flow naturally .
When asked , what clues do you think would give away a deepfake in a video , respondents selected their mouth movements do not sync with the audio , 73 %, The request or the message is out of the ordinary , alarm signals should go off , 49 %, Their head movements seem odd , 49 %, The person does not blink , 46 %, and The person ’ s skin colour looks unnatural , 44 %. p
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