Trick or treat. This isn’t me.
Well it’s my image, but that’s it.
If you know me well, you might recognise you’ve just entered uncanny valley. My movements aren’t quite right. That’s not my voice.
But if you didn’t know me, would you trust it?
The Treat
It’s pretty convincing. It’s made in less than five minutes. For free.
And this is just the beginning. Video’s from OpenAI’s Sora 2 are even more convincing; it’s in beta stage but those with access are already flooding our feeds with rapid, realistic videos.
You can animate a still image. You can use an avatar or photo of someone else and map to a video of your actions and voice. You can make yourself Rose, arms out the front of the Titanic with Jack. You can transport yourself to the Maldives.
All it takes is simple text prompts. No bad hair days. No high budget filming crew. It really is sci-fi come to life.
The Trick
We are entering the age where you can’t trust anything you see or hear on the internet. We are hiking into the depths of uncanny valley, hopping side to side to avoid the misinformation minefields and trying not to slip on the AI slop. The light of realism and content from people you know is getting higher and more distant above.
Social feeds are filled with copyright infringements and animations of the dead, varying from hilarious to uncomfortable. There are videos of celebrities spouting slurs, misogyny and racism. Robin William’s daughter has begged for it to stop.
Frankenstein’s monster
It’s the 21st century, your photos, videos and voice are on the internet.
When making an AI video you have to click a button confirming you have permission to use the likeness in the photo. Morality is the only barrier for bad actors to not use your likeness and voice to create a video—although sharing the video, especially commercially does come with legal risk.
AI is great opportunity and a useful tool, but the likelihood of an AI based crisis increases with every new iteration of the technology, from hacking to ultra-realistic misinformation.
So what do you do?
The solution spell
A crisis plan is crucial and starts well before a crisis hits.
Be authentic and stand for something. Strengthen both your personal and business brands. If you sit on the fence, you leave space for fake news or false opinions to sound more convincing.
Trust is everything. Building credibility with your audience and the public puts you in a stronger position when challenges arise. Preparation not only prevents escalation, it protects your reputation when it matters most.
When a crisis does hit, communication is key.
Follow a pre-approved internal plan, know who your key spokespeople are and communicate externally with empathy, understanding and reassurance.
Provide clear, measurable actions for your stakeholders.
Act fast and avoid an information vacuum. Keep your tone human and relatable. A well-handled crisis can even strengthen trust and show your values in action.
Review and test your plan regularly so your team knows exactly how to respond. For eight essential elements of a crisis plan and guidance on post-crisis recovery, read our blog.
Is your business ready?
Don’t be left in the dark and out with the monsters.
We can help you raise your profile, communicate your ethos and protect your reputation.
If a crisis does hit, you’re not in it alone, we will already know your business, your strategy and your messaging and will be with you to help you navigate the shark infested waters.
Written by: Jasmin Meadows
Read our next blog on: How to be seen and heard when news avoidance is increasing (bclear.co.uk)