Imagine your child calling for money. Except it’s not them – it’s an AI scam | James Wise

Fraudsters are being given more sophisticated ways to trick us into believing they are someone they are not

This year, I was sent a link to a video of myself, passionately explaining why I had invested into a new technology company. In the video I spoke enthusiastically about the great faith I had in the company's leadership and encouraged others to try the service out. The problem was, I had never met the company nor used its product.

It looked and sounded like me, right down to the fading Mancunian accent. But it wasn't. It was an AI-generated fake used in a business pitch and designed to wow me into investing in a company. Far from impressing me, it left me concerned about the myriad ways these new tools could be used for fraudulent purposes.

James Wise is a partner at the venture capital firm Balderton, and a trustee of the thinktank Demos