You didn't think we'd stop at four predictions for the Year of the Dragon, did you?
We've got one more up our sleeves and for this we've entered the world of sci-fi. Or have we? After all, a prediction is just taking everything around today and projecting it into the future.
Looking Ahead To 2030
It's 2030 and the cybertheft economy is now ‘valued’ at US$10 trillion annually following the explosion in AI powered fraud, including deepfakes in 2024.
It seems so long ago that a targeted deepfake video conference scam netted HK$200 million or the opportunistic celeb deepfakery frauds hit the internet.
In today's borderless cybertheft economy, powered by artificial intelligence, the level of targeting and opportunism remains high, and there is a huge market for AI crisis management and reputational PR.
Back in 2024, PR agencies quietly fortified their crisis management offerings to predict, prevent, protect and repair client reputations from AI-powered fraud.
Rapid Response Reputational PR Teams
PR agencies today have rapid response reputational teams to counter AI threats to reputational and financial risks. By identifying potential cyber risks before they became a full blown crisis, each PR team is a self-contained unit made up of individuals specialized in certain disciplines.
For example:
1. AI Forensics Expert: This specialist analyzes and investigates AI-generated content to identify fraudulent or malicious activities. They have a deep understanding of AI algorithms, data analysis techniques, and emerging trends in AI fraud.
2. Crisis Communications Strategist: Responsible for developing effective communication strategies proactively and reactively to reputational threats caused by AI-powered fraud. They have the ability to assess the situation, formulate key messages, and manage communications across various channels.
3. Legal Advisor: Provides guidance on legal implications and compliance issues related to AI-powered fraud. They have the expertise in relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards to ensure that the response strategies comply with legal requirements.
4. Social Media Analyst: This specialist monitors social media platforms and online communities to identify and assess potential threats to the organization’s reputation. They are proficient in using social media listening tools and analytics to gather insights and inform response strategies.
6. Ethical Hacker: A penetration tester assesses vulnerabilities in AI systems and infrastructure. Their role is to identify potential weaknesses that may be exploited by malicious actors and recommend security measures to prevent AI-based attacks.
7. Public Relations Specialist: Has a strong background in traditional public relations and crisis management. They work closely with the crisis communications strategist to develop and execute comprehensive PR campaigns to protect and repair reputations.
8. Brand Monitoring Expert: Monitoring digital channels, news outlets, and other media sources to track mentions of the organization and identify potential reputation risks and in real time.
The specialist rapid response teams have security operation centres, access to the latest technologies and hefty budgets.
Fast Rewind To 2024
Let’s go back to the present. We know of one UK agency who is building such a team already, although we only know about the public facing roles at this time.
Still, all a prediction is based on information that is available today.
There is AI-powered fraud, there are video and audio real life hijacks, and audacious and sophisticated online AI crimes taking place. Combine all this with fragmented regulations, the low cost of entry and cyberattacks being borderless, and things are only going to get worse.
Indeed, the Hong Kong Police estimates losses to technology crimes amounted to HK$5.1 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 72%.
The demand for reputation PR, and crisis management and training will grow like never before and there will be more safety tech tools developed specifically for the real time detection and prevention of video and audio deepfakes.
Eight PR, is a PR agency in Hong Kong, helping clients to stand out from the competition.
From media relations to content development, corporate reputation management to thought leadership programmes, and digital communications, we’ve got you covered. Our goal is simple: to empower your business with all things PR and help you achieve your goals.
Find us at eight@eightpr.com or call Tel: +852 9186 2984
Sources:
US$10 trillion - Bloomberg
HK$200 million scam - The Standard