Bank of Italy warns against deepfake videos circulating online

By Giovanni Legorano

ROME (AA) – The Bank of Italy warned on Wednesday about fraudulent messages circulating online, which use artificial intelligence to reproduce the image and voice of members of financial authorities, including the central bank, and other top leaders or well-known people.

“Such content, known as deepfakes, is also generated using artificial intelligence to modify real video or audio in order to convey and add credibility to messages that are untrue and shared with the aim of committing fraud,” it said in a statement.

The central bank said none of these videos, including those making explicit reference to the Bank of Italy, have been authorized.

It recommended the public who encounter such content to doubt about the message it conveys, not to respond or carry out any request made and avoid sharing it.