Generative AI Shock Wave / Generative AI Triggers Concerns — Even Among Developers of the Technology

OpenAI and ChatGPT logos are seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
6:00 JST, April 26, 2023
ChatGPT and other generative AI tools present a new threat to the information space.
U.S. research firm Eurasia Group’s “Top Risks for 2023,” released in January, ranked technological “weapons of mass disruption” third, after the Chinese administration of Xi Jinping in second and Russia in first place.
The report states that “Disinformation will flourish, and trust — the already-tenuous basis of social cohesion, commerce, and democracy — will erode further.”
Even OpenAI, the U.S. startup that develops ChatGPT, has expressed concern about the generation of false information.
OpenAI and other institutions released a report in January stating: “There are no silver bullets for minimizing the risk of AI-generated disinformation,” and that “New institutions and coordination (like collaboration between AI providers and social media platforms) are needed to collectively respond to the threat of (AI-powered) influence operations.”
The fact that generative AI has made it easy for anyone to create misinformation has triggered concerns.
Problems with such misinformation have already emerged in Japan. A tweet posted on Sept. 26 when a typhoon caused heavy rain damage in central Japan featured an image of submerged buildings and the caption: “This is an image of flood damage in Shizuoka Prefecture captured by a drone. This is woeful, seriously.”
“It’s terrible” and “We must help immediately” were among some of the replies to the tweet, which went viral.
But the image was fake and created for “fun,” the poster told The Yomiuri Shimbun.
The poster generated the image featured in the tweet by typing prompts such as “flood” and “Shizuoka” in English into a free tool developed by a U.K.-based AI firm.
After news of the fake image emerged, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference: “It’s important to prevent confusion caused by rumors. We call on people to be on the alert for information that is not based on facts.”
Disinformation generated by AI has also been abused to manipulate public opinion. Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a fake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling on citizens to surrender appeared online.
“There is no doubt that disinformation will increase exponentially in the future,” said Shinichi Yamaguchi, an associate professor of econometrics at the International University of Japan. “There is a possibility existing systems will not be able to cope with the situation, which could trigger chaos across society.”
Services such as ChatGPT often present inaccurate or biased information in subject areas for which the AI system’s knowledgebase is limited.
The University of Tokyo ’s Executive Vice President Kunihiro Ota said using ChatGPT was “like conversing with a know-it-all who’s good at speaking,” in a document titled “Generative AI” that was posted on the university’s website on April 3.
The text generated by such systems is worded so naturally that it can be difficult to spot misinformation.
If ChatGPT becomes widespread and users share incorrect information without checking its accuracy, society could be inundated with misinformation.
Technology that can differentiate AI-generated information from human-created information will be needed.
A University of Tokyo research team attracted attention at an international conference in June after presenting technology that can detect AI-generated videos with an accuracy of 70%-90%.
It increased the accuracy of detections by processing large volumes of generated images that differ slightly from authentic ones.
“In addition to developer-led countermeasures such as watermarking AI-generated information, internet platforms must determine whether the content they host is AI generated and tackle misuse,” said J. F. Oberlin University Prof. Kazuhiro Taira.
Computer literacy among users of such services is also important.
Kazutoshi Sasahara, an associate professor of computational social science at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, said: “Without actively checking the contents, user will be deceived. [Computer] literacy in the age of ChatGPT is necessary to comprehend the nature of information generated by AI.”

Generative AI shock wave / ChatGPT Can Be Tricked into Generating Malware, Bomb-making Instructions
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/social-series/20230425-105738/Popular Articles
Popular articles in the past 24 hours
-
MUFG Sets Up New Fund for Japanese Movies, Aiming to Inject Some ...
-
New Mt. Fuji Gate on Yoshida Route in Yamanashi Pref. Completed; ...
-
Opposition Seeks Quick Political Fix Via Tax Cuts; History Shows ...
-
Parties See Tokyo Election as Bellwether for Upper House Election...
-
Airstrikes against Iran: Israeli Offensive Deepens Crisis in The ...
-
Air India Black Box Recovered after Crash That Killed 241 Onboard...
-
Osaka: Obachaaan Power Up with 1st Single in 6 Years; Granny Grou...
-
Tokyo Assembly Race Kicks Off: Voters Must Carefully Ascertain In...
Popular articles in the past week
-
UPDATE2: Four Japanese Self-Defense Forces members injured in exp...
-
Fukuoka City School Lunch Menu with Only One Karaage Fried Chicke...
-
Japan’s JR East to Launch New Overnight Train in Spring 2027; Ove...
-
Mourners Pay Respect to Nagashima in Funeral Service; Baseball Le...
-
Manga ‘Predicts’ Disaster in Japan, Deterring Hong Kong Travelers...
-
Higher Food Costs Cause Price Increases in Cafeterias, Affecting ...
-
Countries, Regions Use Osaka-Kansai Expo to Attract Japanese Tour...
-
M4.2 Quake Hits Tokyo, Kanto Region; No Tsunami Warning Issued
Popular articles in the past month
-
Toyoda to Become Automobile Business Association of Japan Chairma...
-
Visitors to Japan Hit Single-Month Record High in April
-
Advance Payments for 2025 Rice Foretell Rising Prices; Big Buyers...
-
Japanese Researchers Develop ‘Transparent Paper’ as Alternative t...
-
Japan to Introduce Car Fuel with Up to 10% Biofuels from Fiscal 2...
-
Consumption Tax Exemption to Be Nixed for Low-Cost Imported Items...
-
Former North Korean Agent Says Still Many Spies in South Korea Lo...
-
Tokyo Experiences Temperatures Exceeding 30 C for 1st Time This Y...
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Tokyo Experiences Temperatures Exceeding 30 C for 1st Time This Year; Other Parts of Japan also See Soaring Temperatures
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Expo Fails to Achieve Pledge of Line-Free Event; Smartphone Data Shows Particular Crowding at East Gate
-
Japan’s Maglev Shinkansen’s Partially Completed Station Unveiled; Station Will Be Only Underground Stop Between Shinagawa, Nagoya
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Japan Pavilion Security Guard Headset Goes Viral on Social Media; Fans Delight at Similarity to Dragon Ball “Scouter”
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Yoshimura Asks Japan Expo Association to Consider Keeping Restaurants, Shops Open until Just before 10 P.M.
JN ACCESS RANKING
-
Toyoda to Become Automobile Business Association of Japan Chairman; to Help Guide U.S. Tariff-Affected Industriessns
-
Visitors to Japan Hit Single-Month Record High in April
-
Japanese Researchers Develop ‘Transparent Paper’ as Alternative to Plastics; New Material Is Biodegradable, Can Be Produced with Low Carbon Emissions
-
Japan to Introduce Car Fuel with Up to 10% Biofuels from Fiscal 2028; Limited Rollout Expected at Areas with Refineries
-
Former North Korean Agent Says Still Many Spies in South Korea Looking to Strain Relations with Japan