78 per cent of Dutch people find it increasingly difficult to separate real from fake due to the rise of AI, according to research by NPM participation Conclusion conducted among 1,003 Dutch respondents. This struggle is especially prevalent among young people and the elderly: 71% in the age range of 16 to 29, and 85% between 60 and 69 years old, found the IT and business transformation service provider.
The research suggests that many people automatically trust digital messages from acquaintances. More than half (55 per cent) of Dutch people rarely question the veracity of digital messages or phone calls by people in their own network. For young people, this percentage is even higher, at 60 per cent. According to Roel Gloudemans, Director of IT Risk & Compliance at Conclusion, this group is extra vulnerable to deepfakes as a result. “The risk is shifting from ‘can you recognize it?’ to ‘are you willing to doubt it?‘.”
Despite the growing concern among citizens, only a small group is actively taking precautions. Only 13 per cent has agreed on a code word with friends or family to recognize voice cloning or deepfake videos. Meanwhile, over 40 per cent believes victims of these types of fraud to be “naive”. Young people are the harshest judges: among 16- to 29-year-olds, 48 percent call victims naive, compared to 37 percent of those aged 60 and over.
Cynicism also appears to play a role. Almost 3 in 10 Dutch people (29 per cent) believe that there is little to be gained by being cautious, because AI and hackers will always be smarter. This notion is particularly prevalent among 30- to 39-year-olds, where 37 per cent agrees with this statement. According to Gloudeman, urgent action is required: “Without a collective effort from citizens, companies and the government, the risk will continue to grow each day.”