By Clemia Neely

Baham Journal Staff Writer

With the rising threat of deepfake videos using Artificial Intelligence tools circulating the internet impersonating public officials, Hon. Wayne Munroe, KC, Minister of National Security, spoke at a press briefing Thursday morning at the Office of the Prime Minister to address the very serious matter.

“In recent weeks, we have seen a sharp increase in AI generated content which are highly realistic video and audio clips using artificial intelligence to impersonate public figures in The Bahamas.  These videos aren’t harmless tricks.  They are being used to carry out financial scams, targeting unsuspecting citizens with false promises and fraudulent schemes.”

He added, “the videos are fake. They do not reflect the actions, statements, or endorsement of those who they portray.  They are a part of a growing pattern of criminal activity aimed at exploiting trust, distorting truth, and separating people from their hard-earned money.”

Minister Munroe advised Bahamians to be vigilant of these videos to avoid being scammed.  He also addressed the people behind these AI videos, and urged the media to help get the message across to Bahamians to prevent people from falling for these fraudulent financial schemes.

These schemes are not politically motivated (at least not yet), but rather, they are solely financially motivated to purposefully deceive people into sending their money to scammers.  Minister Munroe stated that the government is working to create laws designed specifically for punishing those involved in this matter to make the law enforcement process smoother.

Recently, a deepfake AI video was circulated featuring Prime Minister Philip Davis endorsing a money-making project for Bahamians.  The average Bahamian could probably tell that it was not genuine due to nuances in the dialect used.  It also featured a ZNS anchor.