Foreword ix
Introduction: Riddle Me This, Chatgpt XI
Chapter 1: The Eternal Battle for the Mind: Why You Should Care 1
Whispers from the Static 1
Pleased to Meet You, Hope You Guessed My Name 2
The Historical Context of Deception and Scams 4
The Digital Age: A New Era of Deception 5
The Far-Reaching Implications of Synthetic Media 11
Why Synthetic Media Slips Right Past Our Defenses 11
Cognitive Security 101: Protecting Our Minds in the Digital Age 13
Takeaways 15
Chapter 2: The New Frontiers of Deception: AI and Synthetic Media 17
Whispers from the Static 17
Inflection Points 18
Brief History of AI Advances 19
Is AI Alive and Does It Really Understand? 30
Takeaways 34
Chapter 3: The Mindset and Tools of a Digital Manipulator 37
Whispers from the Static 37
How Hackers Approach Technology and Problem Solving 40
Deceptionology 101: Introduction to the Dark Arts 43
Peering Down the Rabbit Hole 53
Takeaways 57
Chapter 4: Bias, Data Poisoning, & Output Oddities 59
Whispers from the Static 59
Hallucinations: AI’s Double-Edged Sword of Creativity 61
The Big Bias Problem 64
Embarrassing F{ai}lures to Control Bias 68
The Consequences and Way Forward 76
Takeaways 77
Chapter 5: The Digital Disinformation Pandemic 79
Whispers from the Static 79
Lies, Darn Lies, and the Internet 80
The Landscape of AI-Driven Disinformation 87
Types and Tactics of AI-Generated Disinformation 89
Chapter 6: Deepfakes and the Spectrum of Digital Deception 97
Whispers from the Static 97
On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog 99
What Really Is a Deepfake, Anyway? 100
The Chilling Effectiveness of Low-Tech Deception 104
Breaking Bad: How Bad Actors Can Corrupt the Morals of AI Systems 110
When Jailbreaking Is Overrated: Uncensored AI Systems 125
Weaponizing Innocent Outputs 128
An Inconvenient Truth About Digital Deceptions 131
Takeaways 131
Chapter 7: The Now and Future of AI-Driven Deception 133
Whispers from the Static 133
Into the Exploitation Zone 135
The Pillars of Deception, Scams, and Crime 138
AI-Powered Scams: Old Tricks, New Tools 141
Emerging Threats 146
A Personal Story: How I Created Multiple GenAI-Powered ScamBots 152
Finding Hope 154
Takeaways 155
Contents vii
Chapter 8: Media Literacy in the Age of AI: Your First Line of Defense 157
Whispers from the Static 157
The Fight for Truth 159
A Quick Note before We Jump In 161
Media Literacy in the Digital Age: Your Survival Guide to the Information Jungle 165
The Fact-Checking Paradox: Seeking Truth in a World of Lies 172
Takeaways 183
Chapter 9: Cognitive and Technical Defense Strategies: Tools for Protection 187
Whispers from the Static 187
Building Our Cognitive Defenses 189
Tech-Based Defenses 203
Wrapping Up: Vigilance in the Digital Age 211
Let’s Make It Fun: Sharpen Your Mental and Digital Defense Skills 212
Takeaways 214
Chapter 10: A New Hope 217
Whispers from the Static 217
Criminals Have Means, Motive, and Opportunity. But so Do We 220
Let’s Make It Fun: Make It Real 224
Takeaways 227
Appendix: Tips, Tricks, and Resources 233
Notes 241
Acknowledgments 255
About the Author 259
Index 261