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| By Chris Graebe |
It seems that for every article I read that casts artificial intelligence in a positive light, a darker one comes along warning us about the potential harm the technology can cause.
That’s true of many innovations. I think much of our hesitancy to embrace anything new stems from our fear of the unknown. And, unfortunately, not even the AI experts have a complete grasp of its capabilities — both good and bad.
So, there’s plenty of angst among people as AI gains traction and begins to infiltrate every part of our lives. I admit, sometimes it feels like we’re flying rather blindly … launching new apps first and learning of their consequences after the fact.
I want to share something shocking I read that’ll send shivers down your spine. First, though, I want you to know that despite what I’m about to tell you, it won’t break my resolve to continue supporting and investing in entrepreneurs and innovation. I’ll explain in a bit.
Now, back to my story …
Good AI Versus Bad AI
OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, just introduced something called Voice Engine. The company didn’t reveal it to the world or make it accessible to millions of people like it did ChatGPT (thank goodness). No, they introduced it and decided against any broad distribution.
Here’s why. Voice Engine is a tool inside the AI world where you can drop a 15-second clip of your voice. It could be a voicemail to someone else or a message you just recorded of yourself. You upload the short sound bite into the app, and Voice Engine clones it so it sounds exactly like the original voice.
Someone with bad motives could use your voice to call a loved one, making them think you’re in danger and need money wired to you.
Or, here’s a less personal, but equally strong example of how voice cloning tools can be very, very dangerous if placed in the wrong hands.
I heard a story about a bank employee who received a voicemail from his company CEO. In the message, the CEO instructed the employee to wire millions of dollars into an account.
It seemed a little fishy, so the employee sent a direct message to the CEO and wrote, “Hey, this is a lot of money. Are you sure you want me to wire this much? Can we jump on a meeting, so I can hear it directly from you?”
The CEO responded, “Absolutely, let's do a Zoomcall and invite everyone else.” They all jump on the call. The CEO was there along with a number of team members that had worked with the employee for a long time.
Well, he gets the confirmation he needs and wires the money. Turns out, everyone on that Zoom call — except for the person who received the voicemail from the CEO — was AI-generated and using false identities.
I found that really hard to fathom.
It gets even worse. The technology can also translate your voice in different languages. This has many far-reaching implications, specifically in the world of politics and entertainment.
You might recall that back in January, voters in New Hampshire received a phone call, seemingly from President Joe Biden, urging them not to vote in the state’s primary election. Well, it wasn’t Biden at all. It turned out that the scammers used a recorded imitation of the president’s voice likely generated using AI.
The question I'm asking myself is, “Is OpenAI trying to play the good guy or is this a marketing ploy to let the world know about Voice Engine well in advance of it coming out?”
Interestingly, since OpenAI’s Voice Engine hadn’t been “introduced” yet, the political scammers must have used a tool capable of imitating voices that was available earlier this year. It’s not like the technology Voice Engine uses is novel. It’s just touted as producing better quality than others.
In fact, a number of startups have delivered voice-cloning products for years, from ElevenLabs to Replica Studios to Papercup to Deepdub to Respeecher.
So have some of the Magnificent Seven companies, including Amazon.com (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT).
I don’t put the onus of using AI for scamming on the technology. I put it on the bad actors with bad intentions. That’s the gist of the problem.
It’s so easy to use AI to scam people and infiltrate programs that it’s possible for anyone with bad motives to become an instant hacker.
We should absolutely be concerned with potential dangers of AI in the hands of bad guys.
But should we reject the technology altogether and discourage the continued evolution of it just because we fear the worst?
The Best AI Can Offer
Of course not, because by doing so, we would miss out on the best possibilities that AI can offer.
Hackers may be using it to steal millions. But we’ve already seen AI help to accomplish some amazing feats in healthcare, manufacturing, the military, agriculture, education, transportation and many more industries (including one we are announcing soon).
The world — and your life — will eventually be a better place with AI in it.
I truly believe that, as a society, the day we stop leaning into innovation is the day we start dying.
Letting fear of the unknown overshadow our desire to learn, explore and evolve would drive a stake right through the soul of the world’s entrepreneurial spirit.
You probably already know that one of my life’s biggest ambitions is to find startups with the most unique, life-changing and disruptive ideas. I’d find a world without innovation boring and mediocre. Wouldn’t you?
There are so many people with their heads in the sand, not acknowledging that AI is here and that it’s not going away. They’re afraid of AI rather than seeing it as an opportunity to innovate and change.
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, too. But you have to take it in one step at a time. Your job will look different. Your life will look different. Your kids’ lives will look completely different.
And with a little luck and help from yours truly, your bottom line will, too. Keep in mind that different doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing. It’s something new that we’re not used to yet, that’s all.
Today, some 62 cybersecurity startups with more than $1 billion in valuation are seeking investors. I’d love to add another AI startup to my portfolio.
There’s nothing better than investing in the good guys that are taking down the bad guys. When I find the best one, I’ll let you know.
Of course, AI is still a tool … a powerful tool that we’ve been working with behind the scenes here at Weiss Ratings for quite a while. I think you’ll be amazed by the results.
In fact, I urge you to see how new AI beats the S&P 500 by 51-to-1 by clicking here.
Happy hunting,
Chris Graebe
