Be careful what you wish for, with the latest “transformative” gizmo too.
WPP CEO Mark Read (below), who has made much of the company’s big investment in AI and its capacity to boost profits, has himself been the intended victim of a deepfake scam. Scammers impersonated Read with a fake WhatsApp account plus pic in a Microsoft Teams call featuring YouTube footage of a WPP agency head and another senior exec.
Read says: “The pretext was that the individual targeted was being asked to set up a new business with the ultimate aim of extracting personal details and money. Fortunately the attackers were not successful.”
He said in a memo warning staff to be vigilant: “These techniques are specifically designed to target individuals at a level that is far more tailored and psychological than the scams defrauding the vulnerable or general public.
“Thanks to the vigilance of our people, including the executive concerned, the incident was prevented.”
WPP is planning to use AI across its multifarious businesses which will, presumably, create opportunities for all manner of mischief, not least from disaffected employees.
