Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
A stylish Pope Francis became the topic of conversation over the weekend after images of the Catholic leader wearing a white puffer jacket began circulating online, bringing in fashion-related compliments.
But the Pope actually never wore the jacket-and-cross-necklace combination; the photos that circulated weren't real.
Those images, created through artificial intelligence (AI)-generator model Midjourney, were uploaded to Facebook and Reddit groups dedicated to AI-generated images and art. They were then posted on other social media sites without the context of the groups.
The Pope Drip
by u/trippy_art_special in midjourney
While the images were taken as a light-hearted joke by some, cybersecurity expert Chester Wisniewski warns eerily convincing AI-generated photos could further exacerbate misinformation.
"We've kind of crossed an uncanny valley now," Wisniewski told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Monday. "I don't know that there is a way for people to tell the difference between a real photo and a fake one and this is going to have deeply troubling societal ramifications."
In the earlier days of AI-generated images, Wisniewski explained, there were many tell-tale signs to distinguish a real photo from a computer-generated one. For example, limbs and fingers are often distorted in AI-generated images, hair appeared to be unrealistic and extremely airbrushed or teeth in portraits looked exaggerated.
Today however, the technology has improved incredibly quickly, making these red-flags not easily distinguishable to an everyday online user.
Since the coding behind computer-generated images, voices and video is public knowledge and doesn't belong to a single company or person, anyone who is technologically savvy can create anything or pay to use one of the various AI-model apps or websites.
While this open access to AI can lead to improvements in the digital world -- for example, with expanding cybersecurity to protect users' personal data -- it also places the responsibility of being transparent about the content on the creator, which doesn't always happen, Wisniewski says.
"The problem is, all of this relies on some sort of honour system, which we already know people are not fairly honest," he said. "Even influencers have a hard time following the U.S. FTC guidelines where they're supposed to put #ad or #sponsor when they're promoting something."
Since computer generated images are all learned from humans, a bias in the images created also poses other ethical issues. Previous reports have shown some AI-image generators are only able to accurately portray white and male people, showing disparities for Black people and other people of colour. Additionally, apps like Lensa AI portrait have been accused of stealing artwork from artists.
Though the Pope did not address the photos directly, he spoke about the use of artificial intelligence on Monday, saying its power can only help humans if it's used ethically.
"I am convinced that the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning has the potential to contribute in a positive way to the future of humanity," the Pope is quoted as saying in a Vatican news release. "I am certain that this potential will be realized only if there is a constant and consistent commitment on the part of those developing these technologies to act ethically and responsibly."
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.