Artificial intelligence could lead to a rise in online scams, competition watchdog warns
Artificial intelligence could lead to a rise in scams and misinformation online, the competition watchdog has warned.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has raised the alarm over generative AI, a technology that can produce human-like text, images and voice content based on prompts.
The CMA said the new technology exacerbated existing online harms, leaving consumers more vulnerable to email scams and fake reviews when shopping online.
Threat: The Competition and Markets Authority has raised the alarm about generative AI, a technology that can produce human-like text, images and voice content based on prompts.
Generative AI has burst onto the scene in recent months, thanks to the growing popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.
But this has raised concerns about limited regulation of private companies at the forefront of technology and the potential for AI to go wrong.
The CMA has said that while technology has benefits, including making tasks easier and increasing productivity, caution is needed about how it is developed.
“We cannot take a positive future for granted,” said CMA CEO Sarah Cardell.
“There remains a real risk that the use of AI develops in a way that undermines consumer confidence or is dominated by a few actors who exercise market power that prevents the full benefits from being felt throughout the economy. “.
The CMA has published seven principles to regulate AI models, which seek to create more accountability and transparency for companies that want to use the technology.
Britain will host a global summit on AI safety in November, which will be held at Bletchley Park and seeks to shape an international approach to the emerging technology.
