IN a recent report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) listed Artificial Intelligence-generated misinformation as one of the top immediate risk to the global economy in 2024.
The FactCheckHub had earlier published an analysis on some deepfake AI-generated content to watch out for in 2024. Here are some AI tools that are used to generate disinformation.
1. Fodey
Fodey is a newspaper generating website and application that is designed initially for creating newspaper clippings to make learning activities fun for students in the classroom as they can summarize passages being read, write notes etc. It could also be used to write birthday greetings for family and friends.
But currently, it is being used to spread disinformation, this is done by users filling out a box with the name, date, and headline of the newspaper. While direct links to the newspaper clippings are broken, anyone can download the newspaper’s blueprint and distribute it on their blogs or websites with ease.
An example of a generated newspaper can be seen here; the cited author in the manipulated content debunked it.
2. ManyCam
ManyCam can be used to edit and manipulate video calls. By utilizing an intuitive camera and live-streaming software, it can generate live videos for usage on streaming services, video chat programmes, and distance learning resources.
A pre-recorded video can be uploaded and edited by the user with the application to fit the screen. The computer camera is replaced with the virtual camera of the ManyCam, which lets the pre-recorded footage to be presented on the receiver’s screen.
By using additional software tools, the user can remove the audio from the pre-recorded video and converse with the receiver in real time.
As stated on its website, the software is used to enhance the quality of live-stream videos to deliver professional live videos on streaming platforms, video conferencing apps, and remote learning tools.
However, this is currently being manipulated by malicious actors to perpetrate phishing scams.
3. Prank me not
With Prank Me Not, users can imitate others’ Facebook, Messenger, and Twitter status updates, including images and chats. With the aid of AI technologies, users can create a social setting and dialogue that has never been before.
Users can change social networking information, likes, comments, events, and more, with its customization screen function. The edited content can then be saved by users by clicking the “save” button prior to posting.
It is clearly stated on its website that it is meant create funny or amusing chats to send to friends to make them believe it was an actual post.
But, it is now a tool employed by scammers in creating phishing websites to defraud individuals and organizations.
4. Deepfakes Web
Users are able to digitally alter videos using Deepfakes Web. For the video to be edited and keep its image qualities, it must be of a high resolution.
To prevent inconsistencies, users of AI tools must meticulously mimic the actions of the characters in the video they wish to replicate.
Deepfakes Web has features like celebrity deepfake and AI image generator. Thus, in few steps, a deepfake video can be easily created.
5. Tweetgen and Break your own news
Fake tweets are created using Tweetgen. Dark, muted, and light themes are supported on the Tweetgen application. Every element on a tweet, including the time and date, the quantity of likes, the retweets, the identities, and X (formerly Twitter) applications like the Twitter Web app, Twitter for iPhone, Android, etc., can be replicated by users.
Apart from manipulating headlines and taking screenshots from the web, Break your own news is used to produce fictitious breaking news for widely watched news networks. Users can upload an image, compose a title for the story, and publish.
Just like other tools aforementioned, the software’s developers claim that amusement, humor, and parody are its intended uses. However, the application is now frequently being used to create fake news stories or content and amplified on social media platforms.
An example of a breaking news used for humorous content can be seen above.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org