Concerns have already been expressed about artificial intelligence. For example, the full potential of AI is still unknown and may even be dangerous. AI may also have a negative influence within the crypto industry. According to Cardano (ADA) founder Charles Hoskinson, AI is now also being used by crypto scammers.
Crypto scammers use AI
Hoskinson shares on June 5 a screenshot of an email message someone received from a scammer. The scammer posed as Hoskinson with a message about a project on Cardano. Hoskinson believes that the grammatical and stylistic form of the message is typical of current AI language programs such as ChatGPT. The danger, he says, is that these programs will only get better until they practically seem ‘real’.
“People wake up every morning looking for ways to make people believe they are me or Vitalik Buterin or Elon Musk. You have to give them some of your well-earned crypto, and they supposedly give something in return. A giveaway scam, for example, where you supposedly ‘double your investment’. Or maybe a ‘new coin is launched’, and you can ‘secure your spot’.”
According to Hoskinson, who gives examples of common ways scammers operate. At the moment it mainly concerns text messages, but this could change quickly, he believes. Companies are already working on ways to generate ultra realistic videos. Scammers may be able to make videos as early as next year in which it appears that people like Hoskinson are speaking.
“Probably next year videos with audio can be made of me using generative AI. It will seem like I am calling you, talking to you or asking you for money.”
Is there hope?
According to Hoskinson, it is one of the dark sides of AI development. It is an unintended side effect of a very new technological phenomenon. However, scammers are all too happy to take advantage of it, and the problem will only get worse as AI develops. However, Hoskinson is optimistic that ways will soon be developed for people to verify their true identity in order to prevent the abuse of AI.