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NewslettersCEO Daily

The deepfake threat to CEOs

By
Diane Brady
Diane Brady
and
Joey Abrams
Joey Abrams
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By
Diane Brady
Diane Brady
and
Joey Abrams
Joey Abrams
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November 5, 2024, 5:28 AM ET
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Good morning.

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Heading into this election, many feared the campaigns would get hijacked by deepfakes—images and audio made to look and sound almost exactly like public figures that are used to spread disinformation. Yesterday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning about foreign adversaries, especially Russia, manufacturing fake videos to claim to show ballot stuffing, cyberattacks and other election fraud. That followed another warning last week, stating that “Russian influence actors” had manufactured a video that falsely depicted individuals claiming to be from Haiti voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia.

Terrible lies but few seem to be falling for them – yet. The tools used to hone disinformation in elections are here to stay. They are already being felt in frauds like the deepfake “CFO” of U.K. design firm Arup, who tricked an overseas employee into transferring more than $25 million to criminals.

I recently spoke with Irish libel lawyer Paul Tweed about the legal implications of deepfakes as he was promoting his book, From Holywood to Hollywood: My Life as an International Libel Lawyer to the Rich and Famous. I wouldn’t normally seek out someone whose clients range from Britney Spears to the British Royal Family, but Tweed also happens to represent and go after big corporations, too. He’s keeping an eye on new liability risk created by generative AI and the deepfakes that it enables.

In his view, it’s just a matter of time before we see a deepfake CEO scandal that sends a stock price dropping before the truth gets out. “It really doesn’t matter whether you are the chairman of a blue-chip corporation, or a Hollywood A-Lister worried about protecting your brand, you’ve got the exact same problem,” says Tweed.

His goal: to hold the platform companies accountable for failing to stop the spread of disinformation. While Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 protects online platforms and users from being held liable for third-party content, it’s not clear if the act covers content generated by the platform’s own AI. “What we’re trying to do is to put the platforms in a corner,” he says. “If I can get a class action going in the States, I’m absolutely confident I can get it enforced in Ireland” — where many big tech players are incorporated. Nobody, of course, wants to be the test case that could make that happen.

More news below. 

Diane Brady
diane.brady@fortune.com
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TOP NEWS

Berkshire Hathaway dumps more Apple stock
Berkshire Hathaway sold another quarter of its stake in Apple in Q3 as Warren Buffett predicts a coming increase in the capital gains tax, particularly under a potential Kamala Harris presidency. The holding company now has a record $325.2 billion in cash reserves. Fortune

U.S. dollar, crypto fall as do Trump’s chances
The U.S. dollar and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin fell on Monday after a surprise Iowa poll published this weekend indicated a Kamala Harris lead in the expected-red state. The euro, the Mexican peso, and other assets positioned to suffer under Trump’s proposed tariff policies rose, on the other hand. Fortune

NYT tech staffers strike before election
Tech staffers at the New York Times went on strike on Monday in a move that could threaten the publication’s coverage of election day. The union representing the tech workers say the strike was avoidable but stands in pursuit of a fair contract. Fortune

 

AROUND THE WATERCOOLER

How HP’s CEO rose from intern to the corner office: ‘I was changing jobs almost every 2 years’ by Ruth Umoh and Natalie McCormick

Elon Musk joins a chorus of conservatives turning the euthanized ‘Peanut the squirrel’ into a symbol of ‘government overreach’ by Sasha Rogelberg

Polymarket users who bet on the presidential election might not see payouts until the inauguration by Sydney Lake

At the country’s biggest fintech conference, the U.S. election is the elephant in the room by Luisa Beltran

Your boss is legally required to give you time off to vote, but only in these 28 states by Chloe Berger

Blocked users on Elon Musk’s X can once again see your posts by Chris Morris

This edition of CEO Daily was curated by Joey Abrams.

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About the Authors
Diane Brady
By Diane BradyExecutive Editorial Director
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Diane Brady writes about the issues and leaders impacting the global business landscape. In addition to writing Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter, she co-hosts the Leadership Next podcast, interviews newsmakers on stage at events worldwide and oversees the Fortune CEO Initiative. She previously worked at Forbes, McKinsey, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Wall Street Journal, and Maclean's. Her book Fraternity was named one of Amazon’s best books of 2012, and she also co-wrote Connecting the Dots with former Cisco CEO John Chambers.

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By Joey AbramsAssociate Production Editor

Joey Abrams is the associate production editor at Fortune.

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