The duality of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is opening up many opportunities, but it is also becoming a dangerous tool when exploited to create fake deepfake videos that distort the image of the police force and the government, and incite public opinion. These sophisticatedly edited clips not only erode trust in authorities but also constitute a sophisticated form of psychological warfare in cyberspace.

It's time for every user to become a "digital shield," being alert, vigilant, and responsible with every click and share.

The benefits and the fine line of AI

Never before has artificial intelligence been so close to everyday life. With just a few clicks and a short command, we can create voices, images, and even videos with astonishing realism. AI saves time, reduces content production costs, and ushers in an era of flexible digital media.

However, this very ability to "simulate reality in a realistic way" has become a double-edged sword. Recently, social media has been flooded with videos created using deepfake technology, in which the faces of police leaders and images of law enforcement officers in sensitive cases are manipulated and distorted with voiceovers to mislead and divide the public.

Staged images like these are becoming increasingly common on social media.

In a viral TikTok clip, images of a traffic police officer on duty were juxtaposed with offensive dialogue, accompanied by the hashtag "fines just for show," implying that the officer abused his power for personal gain. Many users, especially young people, easily believed this content because the visuals were so realistic, and the voice closely matched the lip movements, making it extremely difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake.

Simply for wanting to "show off" his AI technology skills, a young YouTuber in Dien Bien has paid the price with an administrative fine and a forced public apology. On the afternoon of January 24th, the Dien Bien Provincial Police announced that the Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department had issued an administrative fine of 7.5 million VND against Tong Van T. (born in 2001, residing in Muong Ang district) for using AI to create a fabricated video containing distorted and insulting content about traffic police officers.

Specifically, on January 7th, T. uploaded a video over 3 minutes long to her YouTube account "Tuyen Vlog" with the shocking title: "While out and about, I was chased by traffic police." In the clip, the images and situations were staged using AI technology, simulating traffic police chasing citizens, and were combined with effects and commentary that were offensive and defamatory towards law enforcement.

Working with the police, T. admitted that the entire content of the clip was a fabricated product created for "entertainment" purposes and to demonstrate his ability to use AI technology. In addition to the fine, the authorities ordered T. to remove the false video and publicly apologize to the traffic police force on his personal YouTube channel.

In the era of the digital revolution , especially the rapid development of artificial intelligence, hostile and reactionary forces have not hesitated to exploit this tool to create fabricated images and stories aimed at distorting and tarnishing the image of the Vietnamese People's Police Force. A photo recently circulating on social media, showing a pregnant woman in a police uniform being threatened by two men with a "gangster" appearance, is clear evidence of this tactic.

The image, created using AI, has recently gone viral on social media.

At first glance, viewers might easily mistake this for a real scene, accompanied by sensational headlines like: "Poor boy saves pregnant female police officer being attacked by gangsters, unknowingly uncovering a case that shocks the entire nation...". However, this is actually just a staged scene, possibly from a movie or entertainment product, or worse, an image created by AI to deceive the reader's emotions, leading them to feel pity and doubt the authenticity of law enforcement.

More worryingly, the spread of such content not only damages the reputation and image of the People's Police Force, who are working day and night to protect the security and order of society, but also constitutes a sophisticated form of psychological warfare. When the people's trust in the authorities is eroded by deceptive images, the ulterior motives of hostile forces to divide national unity will gradually be realized.

Therefore, every citizen needs to raise their vigilance, develop critical thinking skills and the ability to identify fake information, and resolutely denounce and refute false content, contributing to protecting the ideological foundation and maintaining social stability in the face of the current wave of harmful information on the internet.

In Ho Chi Minh City, a nearly one-minute-long video clip unexpectedly went viral on social media, showing a person in police uniform "coercing" a suspect into confessing to a traffic violation in an office. In the video, the person believed to be a police officer displays an aggressive attitude, constantly shouting and even using rude language, causing public outrage.

However, shortly after the clip went viral, the Ho Chi Minh City Police quickly investigated and confirmed that it was a sophisticated deepfake. According to their findings, the faces in the video were extracted from a recording of an internal police conference, then manipulated by malicious individuals using AI technology to superimpose them onto a staged scene, leading viewers to believe it was a real event.
In particular, the accompanying audio includes threatening and insulting voices that are not actually the real words of any official, but rather synthesized AI voices, programmed and edited to deceive the viewer's emotions.

This incident is a prime example of the use of deepfake technology to distort and defame the People's Police Force, a tactic increasingly exploited by reactionary and subversive forces in cyberspace. Significantly, if not exposed promptly, such fake products can lead to serious consequences: undermining public trust in law enforcement, inciting resistance within the community, and facilitating the spread of false narratives. This serves as a clear warning about the urgent need to enhance communication capabilities to refute, detect, and combat fake news, and calls on every citizen to be vigilant and refrain from hastily sharing or commenting on unverified content from official sources.

In another recent case, involving the handling of irregularities at a vehicle inspection center in the South, hostile elements disseminated a fake video of a provincial police leader speaking in defense of the corrupt officials. This clip, spread on Telegram and social media with the title "backed by powerful forces," was actually a product of AI and did not appear in any press conferences or official documents.

A dangerous trend is silently spreading online: malicious actors are using AI technology to create fake videos for the purpose of fraud and extortion. Recently, many people have become victims when their images, especially those of socially respected individuals such as lawyers, doctors, and businesspeople, are superimposed onto videos advertising "recovery of money lost in online scams."

In these clips, AI is used to mimic the voice and face of lawyers, making viewers believe the scammers and easily provide personal information or transfer money to them. Even more dangerously, some perpetrators use deepfake technology to superimpose victims' faces onto sex videos, then send them to spouses or colleagues with the intention of threatening or coercing them to transfer money to "keep quiet."

A shocking incident occurred in March 2025, when a victim in Hanoi was asked to transfer tens of millions of dong after receiving a fake sex video featuring her. Meanwhile, in Ho Chi Minh City, another person was blackmailed for 2 billion dong if they did not want the sensitive video to spread. The Ministry of Public Security launched an investigation, identifying several transnational criminal groups, mainly from China and Southeast Asia, behind these networks, using disposable SIM cards, e-wallets, and social media platforms to conceal their identities.

This is no longer a petty scam but a form of "high-tech psychological warfare," deeply exploiting fears of honor and social relationships to pressure victims. Without increased vigilance and skills in identifying unusual information and behavior, anyone can become prey to these high-tech criminals. In the face of this sophisticated wave of impersonation, every citizen needs to be vigilant, absolutely refrain from sharing personal information indiscriminately, and be ready to speak out against illegal activities, contributing to protecting their own safety and that of the community.

A "digital shield" from the community is needed to combat the threat of deepfakes.

According to the Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), in 2024, digital platforms in Vietnam had to remove more than 4,000 videos containing false and distorted information, the majority of which were products created using AI technology such as deepfakes and voice clones. TikTok alone – a platform popular with young people – was asked to delete more than 1,300 deepfake clips, mainly related to the police force, government, and social policies.

In the era of technological boom, artificial intelligence is unlocking groundbreaking potential, but it also brings unprecedented dangers, especially deepfake products containing distorted content that attacks the reputation of government agencies. A survey by the MICRI Media Research Institute shows that 62% of social media users in Vietnam cannot distinguish between real and fake information without warnings from mainstream media or authorities. This is a "cognitive gap" that malicious forces are thoroughly exploiting to spread misinformation and disrupt social psychology.

Tong Van T. at the police station.

According to Major General, Associate Professor, and Doctor Do Canh Thin, a criminology expert, using AI to create fake videos impersonating leaders, editing false statements, or distorting the professional actions of the police force is a new but particularly dangerous tactic. “Deepfake is not simply an entertainment product, but a form of modern information warfare, capable of undermining trust, causing social instability, and is very difficult to control,” Major General Do Canh Thin stated.

In reality, AI-manipulated clips are far from harmless; they often target sensitive topics such as handling violations, investigating crimes, and fighting corruption, causing public confusion and distrust of law enforcement. Even more worrying, many videos are shared on major platforms like YouTube and TikTok, garnering hundreds of thousands of views before being removed, creating a negative ripple effect.

Digital media expert Hoang Minh warns: "Just one careless share or like can turn you into an accomplice to fake news. Every internet user needs to understand that actions in the digital space also have real consequences."

In this context, what is needed more than ever is to build a "digital shield" from within the community itself: that is, vigilance, information immunity, and a sense of responsibility towards the online environment. Technology may be neutral, but how people use it will determine whether AI becomes a driving force for development or a destructive force against social trust. Maintaining ideological steadfastness and protecting the image of the police officer is protecting the foundation of national security—a task not only for the relevant authorities but for every citizen in the digital age.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/tinh-hai-mat-cua-ai-5050403.html