The public is being advised by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to brace for more widespread crime involving deepfake AI technology in the year to come.

The concerns of national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol were yesterday relayed to the public by Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deephor, a deputy spokesman for the RTP.

He said Pol Maj Gen Siriwat was particularly concerned about the rise in more advanced AI technology, especially the so-called deepfake AI used by criminals to lure victims into scams, said Pol Maj Gen Siriwat.

Deepfake technology, which can swap faces and imitate the voices of others, could be used to make a deceptive video or voice clip of a well-known figure, he said.

"The same AI technology might sometimes be used to generate fake pornographic video clips to blackmail someone," he said. "Using AI to generate fake news intending to stir up public misunderstanding is also an increasingly worrying possibility in 2024."

So as not to fall victim to such high-tech scams, members of the public are being advised to think twice about content or information they come across online rather than immediately conclude it is real, Pol Gen Torsak advised.

More importantly, people should never rush to make any financial transactions online until they can verify they are dealing with a genuine business or individual.

As for this year, the most common form of online crime, and the subject of more than 150,000 police complaints, involved the buying or selling of goods or services, he said.