Digital-age snipers are firing at the Dominican Republic as if it were their favorite target.

Despite the praise heaped upon the idea of ​​elevating Artificial Intelligence to the altar for its significant positive aspects, it cannot be denied that it also lends itself to the treachery that this year has led the Dominican Republic to face an unprecedented landscape of cyber threats. These threats are undeniably the use of techniques for multiplying extremely harmful digital texts disguised as harmless content, along with images designed to convince even the most skeptical. Deceptions and scams have been rampant.

A recent bulletin from the National Cybersecurity Center, based in Santo Domingo, reported that 233 million attempted cyberattacks were recorded in the first six months of this year, a figure that prompted the dramatic recommendation to strengthen digital resilience in the protection of public and private institutions and entities.

Hundreds of elderly Americans who came to believe in the simulations of a horde of crooks operating from the Dominican Republic were recently robbed of substantial assets with the help of cybernetic “modern” communication channels.

BOTS WITHOUT BRAKES

According to a complaint by the director of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, INDOTEL, Guido Gómez Mazara, during Hurricane Melissa, 67% of the information that circulated on social media with images was false, according to the entity’s analysis, as were the accounts that launched the avalanche of lies, a massive degradation of information at a time of crisis due to a natural phenomenon.

In a recent press conference, Gomez said he was interested in highlighting how the digital world component known as bots generated manipulations “of an unprecedented level” amid the crisis caused by the hurricane rains.

He accused opposition parties of being behind the wave of disinformation.

Commenting editorially on Mazara’s statement, the newspaper El Día maintained that in the Dominican Republic ” lying is common in politics ,” lamenting that, in its view, most citizens with internet access who receive falsehoods do not have the possibility or ability to verify the quality of the messages they receive through chats, social networks, channels, and portals.

RED ALERT

With guidance aimed at customers of the financial system, Banco Popular posted online a warning that “Artificial Intelligence offers great benefits but also involves risks that require attention and preparation. The best defense is to be informed, prevent problems, and act quickly in the face of any suspicion.”

It has been noted that Artificial Intelligence has become a key tool for optimizing processes, improving efficiency, and facilitating decision-making. However, this technological revolution has also brought new digital threats, among them one of the most worrying: deepfakes.

In explaining what they are, it is stated that ” deepfakes increase the credibility of frauds . It is no longer just about manipulated texts or images, but about audiovisual content that seems completely real . This causes many users to lower their guard and easily fall for deception or digital scams. The impact can range from loss of reputation to financial damage or breaches of personal data .”

UNESCO WARNS

“Although digital technologies can improve teaching and learning , they also present risks such as invasion of privacy, distraction from learning and cyberbullying ,” states the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in its latest report, going on to explain how technologies amplify gender stereotypes, producing negative effects on girls’ well-being, learning, and career choices.

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, warns that ” image-based and algorithm-controlled content , especially on social media, can expose girls to material ranging from sexual content to videos that glorify unhealthy behaviors or unrealistic body standards .”

The report cites a Facebook study that found 32% of teenagers who feel bad about their bodies feel worse because of Instagram, and underlines, in response, the addictive design of TikTok, characterized by short, engaging videos that are harmfully seductive.