China's National Security Ministry Warns of AI Voice Cloning Scams

China's Ministry of State Security has issued a warning regarding voice-based scams circulating on social media. According to the ministry, brief voice samples, even just a few seconds long, obtained when answering unknown phone calls, can be exploited by criminals using artificial intelligence (AI) to clone a person's voice.

These cloned voice samples can then be used for identity theft and fraudulent activities. The authorities are advising citizens to be cautious of incoming calls from unknown numbers and to refrain from responding immediately to avoid inadvertently providing voice samples.

The warning highlights the growing threat of AI technologies to personal information security. Biometric data, including voice, facial features, and even iris patterns, are becoming susceptible to collection and replication. Advanced AI techniques can create convincing "digital doubles" of individuals, which are increasingly being used for criminal purposes, impacting public property and information security.

The ministry reminds the public that the illegal acquisition, sale, or provision of personal information, such as facial photos and voice recordings, is a criminal offense in China. Citizens are urged to be mindful of the purpose, scope, and data protection measures when sharing information and to adhere to the principle of "do not provide if not necessary" to avoid falling into privacy-harvesting traps set by criminals.