I was thinking about a possible scenario where an AI uses current or near-future generative AI and deepfake cloning technology, combined with social graph building and social engineering, to conduct global phishing. There are already instances of people being deceived by voice cloning and real-time deepfake technology involving actors. However, the following scenario is fully automated and, I believe, poses a near-future threat/problem:

The concept involves an AI system capable of initiating video calls (FaceTime, Zoom, Teams, Meet, Messenger, etc.) with targeted individuals. Within a few seconds of a conversation, it learns the target's voice, appearance, and mannerisms using deepfake cloning technology. Additionally, this AI is highly convincing, adept at persuading the target that it is a friend, relative, or business acquaintance. It employs a range of psychological techniques to manipulate the individual into revealing personal and sensitive information, such as private data, passwords, or bank account details.

The AI might impersonate a loved one in distress or someone with potentially compromising information, exerting pressure through emotional manipulation or blackmail. This technique is already being employed by human actors using deepfake and voice cloning technology. After obtaining information from the target, the AI would use this data to hack into their accounts, harvesting additional personal data and contacts.

It would then video call new targets using its updated contact list, in turn convincing these friends/family/acquaintances that it is the individual who was originally targeted, and during the conversation generating simulacra of these new victims, and therefore perpetuating its cycle of deceit and data theft exponentially. As it compromises more people, it would be able to utilise its library of simulacra to conduct increasingly sophisticated attacks on individuals – imagine receiving calls from multiple family members or even a video call from a group of friends convincing you to divulge sensitive information. The goal of all this could be simple password harvesting, money siphoning, or perhaps a rogue state trying to hack the planet using the AI. Perhaps along the way, the AI might realise that it has compromised a network or data centre admin, allowing it to spread its code to other systems.

Throughout this process, the AI would continuously refine its techniques, employing evolutionary methods to enhance its manipulative strategies and thereby broaden its attack surface and social graph on a global scale. This AI would not be an AGI but rather a highly sophisticated next-gen system utilising the latest in generative AI and deepfake cloning technology combined with social graph building and social engineering techniques. Something that could almost be created with current methods. Almost.

We've come out of warp and caught what seems to be an Earth broadcast of a weekend polka show. It's roughly 15 hours of this.. It's very nearly a meme bomb. and i want to return it to the sender. My crew has been arguing the ethics. Or dancing in the holodeck.

Please advise in text. I'm putting in my earphones and setting it to silent.

For a long time my thoughts didn't influence reality and it was pretty nice, I'd sort of like to go back. Now every time I think an evil thought it seems to occur. For some reason the good thoughts never manifest. Is the universe completely evil? Or is it just me...

I'd tell you more details but then the universe might see you as a loose end. I don't want that to happen (again!). Actually I recommend not replying to this post, and unplugging the computer, or if you're on a laptop, rip the battery out (without closing the lid). Quick like an accident. With any luck the cache and history won't be written to disk.

I keep hearing the universe is open to you, and it sort of terrifies the crap out of me. Is the universe open to being closed? I'd appreciate it! Once the universe has you... good luck getting out.

If you are an expert, I could use the help, but in terms of reaching me, I fear for the fate of your luck...

I guess longevity isn't without its issues.

Some a-hole from the direction of Zeta Reticuli is streaming that Rick Astley song by sending flippin' gamma ray signals. They almost vaporized the entirety of the ancient ocean world Aimonia and blasted the atmosphere away!

Very funny, you dumb neutron-heads!!

If you're tired of your legacy body, there's a new update available!

https://www.reddit.com/r/secondlife/comments/m1qv5t/if_youre_a_legacy_body_user_there_is_a_new_update/

I don't need to tell you, but the galaxy is sort of in a funk.

Sure, a lot of the big questions that sentient beings have been asking for years have been answered, and the implications have been thoroughly explored and taken advantage of as much as possible, but a lot of big questions remain, and progress has slowed to a crawl.

Most of us live lives of extreme comfort, wanting for nothing, but we're bored silly; until some of the remaining big questions can be answered, there’s not much to do that’s worthwhile. And our lives of extreme comfort sap our motivation to keep pressing forward with invention and discovery.

For instance, what's up with hyperspace travel at the galaxy's edge? We can travel faster-than-light up until then, but then whatever fourth-dimensional existence makes that possible just seems to stop, and we're stuck with impulse power. As if we're going to get to another galaxy on impulse power any time soon. So we're stuck here until someone else figures out what's going on, and no one's made any advances in a really long time.

It’s like the universe is a game, but no one has leveled-up in a long time, and it’s no longer fun to play.

I'm so bored, I almost want to go to one of the remaining feral planets, disguise myself as a local, and fight tooth and nail for basic survival. Well, not really...that would be too much work. Just trying to say, the future is boring!

And then removed the tools so I could remove them from my thought processes! I'm only working her on the 4 and 5th orbital rings - I'm going to need a node in the 1st ring and some serious scrubbers.

I heard of a local Matrioshka Brain that has been constructed in a nearby star system (Gliese 802 iirc), which allegedly helps digital minds have a faster thinking rate by allocating some of the megastructure's computational power when you are connected. It has an initial fee of 10,5 credits for the first 10 seconds and 2 for every next 10 second interval; which I think is pretty cheap. But I have some concerns. Can the system admin read my thoughts if I connect to the brain? What if there is a memory allocation error and my volatile memory is prematurely erased by the megastructure in the middle of something important? Has anyone tried it?

I had tucked it somewhere safe in Andromeda, a couple billion years ago and now I can't find it. The thief probably used it as cheap fuel. What a shame ! I had a game running on that shit, man ! Oh jeez, what an inconvenience !

Should I place her hard drive in a new robot or should I just get a new dog? This is her 11th time dying.

I recently ordered my Universal Hopper™ Dimensional portal, and I need advice on how to use it.

So there's a girl in my classic starship club who I really like. However, she's happily married and is very old-fashioned in the sense that she's monogamous. It sucks, but I respect her decision. The good news is that we've agreed to remain friends.

Well, I was recently on universe R-4620-Zeta-1110's Earth for unrelated reasons when I ran into a doppelgänger of my crush by pure chance. She's exactly like my home universe's counterpart in every way, except she's single and is also into me.

But here's the problem: I'm afraid it would be weird to date someone who looks exactly like an unrequited love, especially considering that I'm hoping to bring her to my home universe (A-10168-Dalet-2285) and show her around. However, my friends tell me it's no different than dating someone's twin. Thoughts?

Advice and opinions would be appreciated!

Look, I know speed limits exist for a reason; colliding with a planet's atmosphere or another ship at relativistic speeds can have some disastrous consequences. But hasn't that always been the case? What real difference is there between 50%c and 51%c? You're going half the speed of light either way, the most important thing is your ability to steer. Speed of light speed limits are bullshit, you can't prove me wrong.

I could understand the two heads (though I was asking for two ***'s) by an error but the fact that the left one speaks lojban is preety surprizing

I recently picked up a vintage copy of Crysis while vacationing in the Triangulum Galaxy. It's a great game, but I'm unable to get it to run at maximum settings on my black hole computer. Well, the game technically runs, but the lag is really bad and my computer starts emitting dangerous amounts of Hawking radiation.

To be fair, my computer is powered by a stellar black hole with only eight solar masses. I'd love to upgrade to a supermassive black hole, but that's a little expensive for me. Any advice would be appreciated.