Va. (WHSV) – Experts say it’s getting harder to tell what’s real and what’s a scam, as scammers now turn to artificial intelligence to make them sound even more convincing
John Guo, a professor of computer information systems and business analytics at James Madison <a href="https://bitcomme.com/columbia-university-data-breach-settlement-now-accepting-claims/” title=”Columbia University data breach settlement now accepting claims!”>University, said that with broad access to the internet, AI is equally as pervasive.
“Sometimes the data they provide to the internet will cause harm beyond their comprehension and normal understanding, and that can become a major social technical challenge for the well-being of the entire society,” Guo said.
AI can also make fake phone calls, making things even more confusing. However, Guo said, there are signs to watch for to help determine what’s real so that you’re less likely to give up your personal information.
“Right now, the generic pattern is that do they have a very standardized structure of their narrative? Do they follow a very conspicuous pattern when they deliver the message to each individual user? For example, grammatical structure, the structure of the entire composition, or some sort of persuasive message,” Guo said. “I think there is a very important giveaway: Is what are they trying to accomplish? If they are trying to accomplish something that you normally wouldn’t do, then be very cautious about that.”
He said there are a few simple steps people should be taking now to better protect personal information, called “cyber hygiene.”
“Do not follow impulse. Don’t tap on it. Don’t download or go to the website that came with the text message,” Guo said. “The first thing you should do is to whip out your Safari or any web browser, Google it and try to ask if there is a documented presence of these kind of messages. Are they legit or not?”
He said it’s important to remember these steps: Do your research, ask a friend for help and don’t act. Make sure you always double check before committing to any actions.
Guo said educators and researchers also need to be willing to share their wisdom to help others from falling into this trap as well.
“As an educator and and a researcher, I think it’s ultimately important as a societal expectation upon us to disseminate what we learn and gather the evidence as a knowledge of information or wisdom,” he said. “I would say share that at a dinner table, at a family reunion. Bring this topic to the conversation as a very informal and friendly way, but it’s very effective on telling people how to safeguard their digital safety.”
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