This is a shocking and disturbing story of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used for malicious purposes. Jennifer DeStefano, an Arizona mom, received a phone call from an unknown number that sounded exactly like her daughter Briana, who was on a ski trip with her dad. The voice was crying and begging for help, saying that she had been kidnapped by some bad men who demanded a ransom of $1 million. A man then took over the phone and threatened to harm Briana and drop her in Mexico if DeStefano did not comply. He also told her not to call the police or anyone else, or he would kill them both.
Brianna’s mom was terrified and panicked, but she managed to alert some other parents who called 911 for her. She tried to negotiate with the fake kidnappers, who lowered the ransom to $50,000 and instructed her to get into a white van with a bag over her head. She realized that this was a trap to lure her into being abducted as well. Fortunately, the police arrived and confirmed that Briana was safe and sound with her dad, and that the whole thing was a scam using AI to clone her daughter’s voice.
DeStefano later testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee about the dangers of AI and the need for more regulation and protection.
