According to a report by the Southern Metropolis Daily, a recent typical case announced by the Cybersecurity Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security has revealed a concerning new model of online rumor-mongering. The public security authorities in Guangzhou, Guangdong, successfully dismantled a criminal gang that used artificial intelligence tools to mass-produce false information, arresting six suspects.
The criminal group aimed to profit from online platform traffic, employing meticulously planned criminal methods: recruiting part-time workers to register social media accounts, utilizing AI tools to quickly rewrite popular articles, and publishing false information in bulk. Statistics show that the group has published over 500,000 misleading graphic articles, causing severe pollution of online information.
Image source note: The image was generated by AI, provided by the image licensing service Midjourney.
Investigations found that criminals can easily access various AI writing tools. These tools have diverse functions, capable of quickly generating public account articles, video scripts, social media copy, and also performing tasks like article continuation, content rewriting, and image generation. Shockingly, some subscription services are extremely inexpensive, costing only 99 yuan per month, with annual fees offering a 50% discount.
Fang Yu, an expert from the China Computer Federation, pointed out that the cost for criminals to generate rumors using AI tools has become extremely low. With the open-sourcing of large model algorithms and the increasing maturity of AI technology, the barriers for criminals to obtain and use these tools are continuously decreasing.
This case not only exposes the serious risks of potential abuse of AI technology but also highlights the urgency of combating online rumor-mongering and maintaining order in online information. The successful investigation by the public security authorities serves as a strong demonstration to curb AI-related crimes.
