Artificial intelligence has leveled up – and now it’s even catfishing.
In recent years, AI has been put to use by making deep fakes of politicians and celebrities, fooling those who have little to no knowledge about advanced technology, and while AI can be helpful to some, it can be harmful to many others. Earlier this month, authors like Sarah Silverman sued companies for using their books to feed and train AI responses to sound more human.
Conversations aren’t the only things AI has infiltrated, though. Many of the beautiful influencers online are not real, and those behind the fantastical faces use them to scam desperate men for money.
In April, Redditors were scammed by a woman named Claudia, who turned out to be an AI creation made by two computer science students.
The two students succeeded and eventually earned at least $100 before they were found out. Others garner much more.
But even though money is acquired through these fantasy women, some actually let their followers know they’re AI-generated.
Finnish influencer Milla Sofia made headlines recently when people noticed her social media biography, which says that Sofia is a robot and an “AI creation.” Sofia has over 40,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 100,000 on Tiktok. Her website includes a resume that details her education experiences as “Self-Adaptive Learning and Data-Driven Mastery.”
“I’ve got this massive knowledge base programmed into me, keeping me in the loop with the latest fashion trends, industry insights, and all technological advancements,” one line reads from her resume.
@millasofiafin
Feeling like a Midnight Princess, but where’s my pumpkin carriage? This image is synthetic. #fashion #blue #eveningvibes #ai #aigenerated #aigirl
♬ original sound – shine scenery
Another influencer, Miquela Sousa, boasts over three million followers on TikTok and over 2.5 million on Instagram. Her biography tells followers and page visitors that she’s a “19-year-old Robot living in L.A.” and even has videos addressing questions regarding her authenticity. Sousa was not made to scam people, however, as she was made as a marketing stunt by Trevor McFredie and Sara Decou. The fictional character is reportedly worth $6 million.
@lilmiquela
How many times do I gotta say I’M A ROBOT. #qanda #robot
♬ Choices (Yup) – Lil Skeet
Still, their transparency hasn’t stopped men from commenting on how beautiful they are.
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One even thanked Sofia for making his day. “Thank you for making my Sunday just a little bit brighter,” he wrote.
In May, Geoffrey Hinton, dubbed the “Godfather of AI,” retired from Google and spoke to MIT Technology Review to warn people of the possible dangers of AI.
“The alarm bell I’m ringing has to do with the existential threat of them taking control,” Hinton said. “I used to think it was a long way off, but I now think it’s serious and fairly close.”
