Using Digital Intelligence Against Criminal Use of AI

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Nowadays, many malicious elements online use AI to digitally expand their operations, and experts claim that such AI-generated fraud is only expected to worsen.

This increasing criminal use of AI challenges security agencies as they look to capture and convict criminals. Unfortunately, most agencies do not have the resources to handle the increased volume of cases, and those that do struggle immensely with differing regulations across jurisdictions. Furthermore, the lack of federal legislation on AI leaves agencies largely on their own to navigate these evolving challenges.

According to HS Today, the FBI recently published a warning of the increasing use of AI to generate fake videos for sextortion schemes that attempt to harass and extort people. Nowadays, scammers can easily obtain images from social media accounts and create realistic images and videos in someone’s likeness (deepfakes). These forged images of victims (usually minors) are then circulated with added threatening and harassing messages.

Agencies have also reported increased use of AI in cryptocurrency and fraud cases, in which criminals use AI chatbots and assistants to mimic human conversations with investors, often leveraging these platforms to promote fake tokens and offer fraudulent investment opportunities. Malicious actors may also use AI to modify their voices to mimic someone a victim trusts and ask immediate requests, like money transfers.

According to HS Today, the solution lies in the collaboration between law enforcement agencies and technology providers, as it is critical for expediting justice in cases involving AI. Digital intelligence solutions allow agencies to identify AI-generated images and audio files quickly and accurately, helping law enforcement process massive volumes of data without manually searching thousands of digital artifacts.

Furthermore, digital intelligence technology can identify patterns and evidence that human analysts are likely to miss, like analyzing digital images and videos and identifying objects and people that are relevant to an investigation.

Law enforcement and government agencies must remain one step ahead of criminals as they use AI to expand their capabilities.