Protected AI – Public Service Announcement.

but in the wrong hands becomes a terrifying weapon.

Brought to you by Protected Harbor whose Protected AI product provides locally based AI processing without the public cloud, allowing companies to benefit from AI without the risk of public AI data capture.

Recently a local school district was negatively impacted by AI. Parents received AI generated calls, where the caller was a generated voice of their children claiming to be kidnapped. A local cable station asked for comment from our CEO and the broadcast is here:

As a follow up to the article we put together this email as a Public Service Announcement, to help users differentiate between real and generated voice calls. AI generated calls will only continue to get better and will be used by criminals to cause fear and hopefully for them lead to a ransom of some sort. Some scenarios we are starting to hear about include;

•  A spouse on a business trip calls saying they need money.
•  An employee calls, saying they have been arrested and need money to be released.
•  A child/grandchild/employee has been kidnapped and a ransom needs to be paid.

Elderly and people who are technology novices are especially venerable.

Right now awareness and preparation are the best measures to combat these criminals.

We have the following suggestions to help prepare for these calls.

•  Delete public video of loved ones that include speech.
•  On social networking sites; all videos mark as private and limit to family groups. AI lives on data; public videos are easy data for AI to be trained on.
•  Create with loved ones a code word. That code word would tell you if the caller is really the love one or not. Make the code word easy to remember, and don’t write it down in case your data has been compromised.

If you do get a call here are some tips you can use to determine if the call is real or not. Remember to write down the caller ID and phone number and if you suspect the call is fake report it to the police. Unfortunately caller IDs and phone numbers can be spoofed – but police can use other techniques to determine the source of the calls.

If someone wants a caller’s identity and it is not an AI-generated voice they can take several steps to reinforce their authenticity. Here are some tips:

Spontaneous Creativity & Unpredictability
Share creative works or thoughts – Humans often create art, music, writing, or even spontaneous ideas that reflect personal taste, struggles, and inspirations. If you’re someone who writes poetry, creates art, or has a personal hobby, sharing these creations can demonstrate your uniqueness.
Be unpredictable: Humans can act in ways that are difficult to predict —whether it’s making a sudden decision to take a trip, changing hobbies on a whim, or responding emotionally to unexpected events. AI can replicate patterns, but true unpredictability is challenging for it to mimic convincingly. Unpredictability is one way to defeat AI. AI is based on learned patterns, break the pattern and AI doesn’t know how to respond.

Shared Personal History & Context
Recall past experiences – Mention specific moments or shared experiences that only the two of you would know. This might include inside jokes, childhood memories, or personal stories that an AI wouldn’t have access to unless it was specifically programmed with that information.
Discuss ongoing personal struggles or triumphs – Talk about challenges or accomplishments in your life that have had a significant impact on your journey. A genuine person would be able to describe these experiences in a way that feels deeply personal and emotive.

Some additional tips to confirm the caller is authenticate and not AI generated are;

Voice & Tone
Demonstrate nuance in communication – Humans often display a wide range of emotions, moods, and tones in communication, and this complexity can be difficult for AI to replicate. Engage in conversations that involve humor, subtlety, empathy, or even moments of vulnerability. A genuine person is likely to speak in a way that reflects their unique personality.
Use informal, imperfect language – AI tends to be overly formal or precise. A human might use casual phrasing, colloquialisms, and even make typos or errors in communication (depending on their personality or state of mind).

Emotional Depth
Express emotions and vulnerabilities – Share emotional moments from your life. Whether you’re talking about a recent loss, a personal challenge, or something you’re proud of, human emotions are often complex and layered. An AI might be able to simulate empathy, but it would lack the authentic depth of a lived experience.
Show empathy in response to their emotions – React to their feelings in a way that shows you truly understand and care about them. An AI may attempt this, but the emotional depth and genuineness often shine through when a human does it.

Engage in Real-Time Interaction
Initiate spontaneous interactions – A real person can engage with others in real-time, responding to events or comments as they unfold. Have conversations that evolve naturally and respond to things happening around you. AI interactions, while capable of seeming live, often lack true spontaneity and context awareness.
Show unpredictability in decision-making – For example, invite them to do something on the spur of the moment or change plans in a way that feels natural. Humans make decisions based on multiple factors, some of which are based on gut feelings or changing circumstances.

Memory and Recognition
Talk about shared memories and experiences – Humans are good at remembering details and events over long periods. By reminiscing about past experiences in a way that only you would remember, you can affirm your personal identity.
Ask about their day – Show interest in their life and current happenings, and refer to things they’ve shared with you before. Real conversations build over time and demonstrate a genuine connection that AI cannot replicate.

Physical and Biographical Evidence
Provide tangible proof – If necessary, refer to things in the real world that demonstrate your humanity, such as showing a physical object with sentimental value, referencing people they know in your life, or discussing things that only a real person would know.
Show your environment – Share details about your environment or physical surroundings that would be difficult for AI to know or replicate, such as your family members, your home, or pets.

Play with Humor
Use humor in a way that feels personal – Humans often engage in playful banter, sarcasm, or self-deprecating humor in a way that AI cannot truly understand or emulate. Making light of the situation or cracking an inside joke can make your interaction feel more authentic.

Ultimately, humans are intricate, complex, and unpredictable, and this authenticity shines through in ways that AI cannot easily replicate. Engaging in ways that reflect your uniqueness, sharing meaningful and deeply personal details, and maintaining a consistent and emotional connection can reassure others of your humanity.

Does your MSP keep you informed with useful tips like this? If not, it might be time to rethink your partnership. At Protected Harbor, we believe in going beyond the basics—providing secure, reliable, and future-ready technology solutions. From managing your desktops and streamlining workflows, to helping you thrive in a private cloud or unlocking the potential of AI, we’re committed to being your partner at every step of the journey. Let’s build a stronger, smarter, and more secure future for your business—together.