The Bank of England has warned the public to be vigilant against AI-generated scams after deepfake videos depicting Nigel Farage and Governor Andrew Bailey fighting on the set of BBC One's Question Time circulated on X.
Governor Bailey urged people to report the videos, which show the men being separated by police and even Farage holding a gun. He said fake adverts impersonating the Bank and other central banks are on the rise, designed to exploit the public, especially the vulnerable.
Farage commented on the AI posts on Monday, stating he would never attack Bailey despite their disagreements. The Bank has raised concerns with Reform UK and social media platforms.
AI-generated scams impersonating public figures have increased as technology improves. Martin Lewis has warned of a 'wild west' of online scams. The UK's Online Safety Act includes provisions to tackle fraudulent advertising, but these do not come into force until next year.
X, owned by Elon Musk, bars impersonation to deceive others. Its sister company xAI faced controversy after its Grok tool was used to create non-consensual images, now investigated by Ofcom.
