On October 8, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova addressed the second international symposium “Creating the Future,” highlighting the urgent need to combat deepfakes as their numbers surge. She warned that the global proliferation of artificial intelligence-driven technology is accelerating at an alarming rate, comparing its growth to a “vertical launch of a space rocket.”
Zakharova emphasized that advancements in AI outpace existing legal and international frameworks, creating a risk of a “fake matrix” where artificial media could replace reality. She called for coordinated global efforts to address the threat.
The discussion followed reports of new cyber threats targeting relatives of deceased individuals through AI-generated deepfakes. Earlier on October 5, the Russian Foreign Ministry disclosed that scammers had created a deepfake using Zakharova’s image, replacing her original audio with AI-generated speech based on a pre-recorded interview.
