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SEEING IS NOT ALWAYS BELIEVING
Other than the threat of AI's taking our jobs and one day becoming our overlord, artificial intelligence is usually seen as a positive development that will help advance human civilization.
We are already seeing huge leaps in fields like programming, scientific research, and health.
Unfortunately, AI is also a tool that also works wonders in the hands of those with malicious intent.
For example, in China, because of a unique product-return policy, online stores are currently taking massive losses because of refunds based on fake AI photos.
In China, you can get a refund without having to return the product itself, as long as you have photographic evidence that the product is defective or at least not up to general quality standards.
This was never a foolproof system, but with the appearance of AI, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to tell what is real and what is not.
From seemingly moldy fruits and vegetables to cracked porcelain and frayed clothing, refund fraudsters are making a killing online, with businesses unable to do much about it.
Part of the problem is automation. Many online shopping platforms require shoppers to upload photos of their defective products, and if the algorithm finds the pictures realistic enough, the refund is processed automatically.
But AI has gotten so good at realistically altering photos and videos that the human eye cannot tell the difference between a real image and a fake one.
Mr. Chen, who runs a fruit and vegetable store in Jiaxing, says that. in the last three months, his store has had nine fraudulent returns. At first, he trusted the customers and offered refunds, but when the returns became too frequent, he became suspicious.
He detected signs of digital editing, but the platform he was selling on told him that the case was not clear enough to prove the photo had been AI-transformed.
Some online shopping sites have introduced tools to determine whether product images are AI-generated, and they will display warning messages under suspicious images. However, no one can yet guarantee the accuracy of these tools.
Recently, Chinese authorities passed a law aimed at the problem. The “Management of AI-Generated and Synthetic Content” act requires AI-generated images and videos to be labeled with both visible labels, such as watermarks, and labels embedded within their codes.
Although removing these labels is now illegal, detecting when they have been erased is still difficult, so the threat of crime remains.
Still, on the principle of “It takes a thief to catch a thief,” why can’t we have AI cops protecting us from AI robbers? Time to call in the FB-AI?
SOURCE: odditycentral.com
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