BBC science presenter Liz Bonnin has spoken out after her likeness was used in an online advert for insect repellent spray without her permission, following a scam involving an AI-generated voice clone. The fake voice message, purporting to be from Bonnin, was used to trick the company Incognito into believing they had secured her endorsement.
Bonnin, known for presenting Bang Goes the Theory and Our Changing Planet, said the AI-generated voice sounded like her at first but then shifted accent, becoming Australian and then English. She described the experience as a violation, adding: 'Thank goodness it was just an insect repellent spray and that I wasn't supposedly advertising something really horrid.'
Howard Carter, chief executive of Incognito, said he was convinced by a series of voice messages from someone he thought was Bonnin. The scammers provided a phone number, email address, and contact details for a fake representative from the Wildlife Trusts, where Bonnin serves as president. Carter negotiated the deal via WhatsApp and email, and claims he spoke to one of the scammers on the phone.
On 13 March, Carter received a contract he believed was electronically signed by Bonnin. Incognito paid £20,000 into an account linked to a digital bank two days later. The campaign launched on Monday using images and quotes sent by the scammers. Hours later, Bonnin publicly denied any endorsement.
Two AI experts who analysed the voice note for the Guardian confirmed it was likely artificially generated. Surya Koppisetti of Reality Defender noted 'gaps and recitation speed issues consistent with AI-generated speech', while Michael Keeling of Faculty said the 'steady, monotone' background noise was a classic technique to make the recording seem more realistic.
Bonnin urged caution, saying: 'If it looks too good to be true and too easy, or a little bit strange, triple check or quadruple check.' She added that the incident serves as a warning about the potential misuse of AI technology.
