Terrifying moment ABC's 7.30 is hijacked by a 'deepfake' reporter live on air
Ferguson introduced the Thursday night segment with a warning that AI-produced videos of doctors and celebrities were being used to trick Australians into buying unproven supplements.
One of the doctors whose likeness was being used was the ABC's own Norman Swan.
'Norman, welcome to 7.30,' said Ferguson as she crossed to the reporter.
'Thank you Sarah, it's a pleasure to be here tonight to talk about deepfake scams that are ripping off vulnerable patients,' said Swan.
'These scams are becoming incredibly convincing.'
The real Norman Swan then stepped into frame, revealing that a fake, AI-generated version of him had been speaking to Ferguson.
'So convincing in fact, that you probably had trouble recognising that that is me,' the real Swan said.
The terrifying AI-generated version of Dr Swan featured two noses.
He explained that fraudsters were increasingly using his identity to sell 'dodgy supplements' online.
One video on Facebook featured a fake Rebel Wilson talking about losing weight thanks to a supplement which she claimed was recommended by Swan.
Another video followed the same formula but with the singer Adele.
The fake videos were surprisingly easy to make, as Swan discovered in an interview with Sanjay Jha from UNSW's School of Computer Science and Engineering.
Mr Jha, who uses AI for teaching purposes, demonstrated that only an internet connection, a laptop, and some free software were necessary to clone Swan's voice and appearance.
The professor was quickly able to produce a deepfake of Swan while he sat watching.
But the technology could have dire consequences, with diabetes patient David Bell, from Melbourne, telling the show that similar content online had persuaded him to stop taking his prescribed medication, Metformin, and start taking a supplement instead.
Metformin is an effective drug to treat type-2 diabetes and helps to prevent blindness and kidney damage.
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