Sadiq Khan says fake AI audio of him nearly led to serious disorder

BBC ^ | Feb 14 | BBC

[RandFan]

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says deepfake audio of him supposedly making inflammatory remarks before Armistice Day almost caused "serious disorder".

Mr Khan says the law is not "fit for purpose" in tackling AI fakes, as the audio creator "got away with it".

The man who first posted the clip, tracked down by the BBC, told us: "It's what we all know Sadiq thinks."

But another social media user who helped the audio go viral apologised, saying: "I made a big mistake".

The clip used AI - artificial intelligence - to create a replica of Mr Khan's voice saying words scripted by the faker, disparaging Remembrance weekend with an expletive and calling for pro-Palestinian marches, planned for the same day last November, to take precedence.

Intended to sound like a secret recording, it said: "What's important and paramount is the one-million-man Palestinian march takes place on Saturday."

The clip imitated Mr Khan, the first Muslim mayor of London, saying: "​​I control the Met Police, they will do as the Mayor of London tells them" and saying "the British public need to get a grip". It said the prime minister meeting with Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was "a waste of time" because "the buck stops with me".

Mr Khan told BBC Radio 4's Why Do You Hate Me? podcast: "You know, we did get concerned very quickly about what impression it may create. I've got to be honest, it did sound a lot like me."

The clip spread rapidly, including among far-right groups, and triggered a spike in hateful comments against the mayor on social media.

[SpaceBar]

Digital Reichstag fire.

[Fido969]

Snowflake.

[BenLurkin]