Federal Trade and Industry (FTC) chair Lina Khan warned Congress over the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, such as the viral chatbot of OpenAI and ChatGPT. The FTC chair is concerned these new tools might "turbocharge" fraud and scams.
The warning from the FTC comes amid the unprecedented popularity of AI tools, which now enable bad actors to carry out their schemes. Some are now using new technology to produce alarmingly more convincing scams than ever.
FTC: ChatGPT-Like AI Tools Might 'Turbocharge' Fraud, Scams
According to a report by CNN, FTC chair Khan told lawmakers in Congress that the new AI tools widely available online might help boost scams and fraud at an alarming rate. The chairperson says platforms like ChatGPT might end up "turbocharging" these activities, potentially harming consumers.
Khan told House lawmakers that the "turbocharging of fraud and scams that these tools could enable is a serious concern."
The latest remarks from the FTC chair raise concern amid the growing popularity of AI tools. Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT last year, it has garnered millions of users, beating the rapid growth of social media giants like Instagram and TikTok. Apart from the chatbot, other AI platforms have also taken the world by storm, allowing users to generate music, images, and complex videos.
The unprecedented rise of these cutting-edge AI-powered platforms received mixed reactions from the public. Some find these tools revolutionary, helping people with all sorts of stuff like content creation and coding.
However, CNN notes that some folks have raised concerns regarding its ability to impersonate another person successfully.
The FTC chair acknowledges that "AI presents a whole set of opportunities." Yet, she adds that the new technology "also presents a whole set of risks," Tech Crunch reports.
How FTC Plans to Combat AI-Generated Fraud?
In her address to Congress, Khan revealed that the FTC is now taking steps to help combat the growing popularity of AI-generation scams and fraud. The chair says they have already recruited technologists from various agency departments, including the consumer side and the competition counterpart.
Meanwhile, FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter says, "Throughout the FTC's history, we had to adapt our enforcement to changing technology." This time, she touts that the agency will continue to combat AI fraud by adjusting to the latest trend. And as such, she states that they will "not be scared off by the idea that this is a new revolutionary technology."
Here at HNGN, we have previously covered a few AI-generated contents that went viral for their accurate impersonation of famous figures, such as the Canadian rapper Drake, singer and actor The Weeknd, and podcast host Joe Rogan.
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