BBC presenter's image unwittingly used in AI-driven ad scam: Report
BBC wildlife presenter Liz Bonnin found her face being misused in an online ad campaign for an insect repellent spray. The company, Incognito, was tricked into believing they had Bonnin's approval through a series of AI-generated voice messages that mimicked her voice, said reports. Bonnin only became aware of the misuse when she saw the advertisements online and noted inconsistencies in the voice's cadence.
Incognito CEO duped by AI-generated voice messages
Per The Guardian report, Howard Carter, the CEO of Incognito, received these voice messages from a Facebook profile claiming to be Our Changing Planet and Arctic From Above presenter. Despite initial doubts about the profile's authenticity, Carter was persuaded he was communicating with Bonnin due to the convincing nature of the messages. The impersonator even provided contact details and a contract that seemed to be electronically signed by Bonnin herself.
Incognito transferred funds to the impersonator's digital account
On March 15, Incognito transferred $20,000 to a digital bank account linked to the impersonator, reportedly. Five days later, images of Bonnin for use in the campaign were sent. However, subsequent emails from Incognito went unanswered. The ad campaign featuring quotes and images supplied by the fraudsters went live on Monday (local time). Shortly after its launch, Bonnin publicly denied any endorsement deal with Incognito.
AI experts confirmed voice messages are artificially created
Two AI experts who analyzed the voice note agreed it was likely artificially created. Surya Koppisetti from Reality Defender highlighted "gaps and recitation speed issues" typical of AI-generated speech. Michael Keeling from Faculty identified the "steady, monotone" artificial background noise as a common strategy to make AI speech appear more authentic. Bonnin described the incident as a "warning message." "There are numerous ways AI can benefit society, such as cancer identification, but it remains insufficiently regulated," she emphasized.
'If it looks too good to be true...check it'
Bonnin reflected on the incident, stating, "At the very beginning it does sound like me but then I sound a bit Australian and then it's definitely an English woman by the end." She expressed regret, acknowledging, "I'm very sorry for what the company has gone through," and emphasized, "If it looks too good to be true...triple check or quadruple check." Additionally, she cautioned, "If somebody contacts you and says, 'Hey, let's not go through the professional route,' then beware."
Incognito reported the incident, apologized to Bonnin
Subsequently, Incognito has reported the incident to the police and its bank and has extended an apology to Bonnin. Carter reportedly confessed he bypassed Bonnin's management agency because the impersonator claimed she was "doing us a favor and provided we do it direct with her and not involve her main agency." The company hopes this incident will serve as a cautionary tale about sophisticated scams involving AI and other computer-generated communications.
