I just read a chilling story that I need to share with all of you: This incident haunts me. Not just for the technological implications, but for the profound psychological trauma inflicted on both parties. The employee believed they were being harassed by their CEO—experiencing real fear, anxiety, and violation. Meanwhile, the CEO faced false accusations that could have destroyed his reputation and career in an instant. We often discuss deepfakes as a technical problem. But rarely do we address the devastating psychological impact they have on victims: ? Identity violation ? Trust decimation ? Persistent paranoia ? Professional reputation damage ? PTSD-like symptoms from digital trauma As business leaders, we have a duty of care that now extends into this new frontier. Your employees aren't just facing traditional workplace hazards—they're vulnerable to sophisticated digital impersonation that can leave lasting psychological wounds. Organizations must implement: 1. Verification protocols for all digital communications 2. Education programs about deepfake recognition 3. Clear reporting channels for suspected incidents 4. Psychological support services for victims 5. Multi-factor authentication for sensitive conversations The digital representation of our identities is no longer separate from who we are—it IS who we are to many people we interact with professionally. Protecting it isn't just good cybersecurity; it's fundamental to workplace psychological safety. Have you considered how your organization would handle a deepfake incident? Are your policies adequate for this new reality? #CyberSecurity #WorkplaceSafety #AIEthics #DeepfakeThreat #DigitalIdentity #LeadershipResponsibility
I’m at dinner with a CEO when his lawyer calls him with horrific news. (This is a true story).. Lawyer: “A new employee claims to have had several Zoom meetings with you (the CEO), where you are demanding inappropriate things..and she has audio recordings”. CEO: “Thats impossible. Never happened”. Lawyer: “Okay, well I’m sending you the recordings now.?Take a listen”. The CEO and I listen to the recordings, on speaker, at the dinner table. Guess what happened next? A) The CEO is lying; it’s him. B) He’s telling the truth; it’s an impersonator. C) He’s telling the truth; it’s AI. … …… …….. If you guessed A or B, you’re wrong. - Someone compiled the CEO’s speeches and seminars? - Uploaded them as data into a voice generator? - Produced a realistic AI bot that sounded like the CEO - Targeted a vulnerable new employee - The FBI are now involved The scariest part is that the conversations were each over 20min long.?To the employee, they were speaking to a real person. And listening to the recordings, it fooled me to. That’s how good AI is getting. I’m super bullish on AI, but not enough people are sharing the bad with the good. ?Huge risks with the rewards.