Conan O'Brien Fights AI Deepfakes with Humor

Comedian Conan O'Brien has been enlisted to help train people on recognizing AI-generated deepfakes and other emerging cyber threats. The Emmy-winning host stars in a 15-part series produced by cybersecurity firm Adaptive Security. This training explores various AI-age dangers, including voice cloning, impersonations, phishing, and even physical safety concerns.

The series, filmed in Los Angeles, was co-written by Team Coco and Adaptive Security staff. Adaptive Security, founded in 2024, focuses on training businesses to navigate the growing landscape of online cybersecurity threats amplified by generative AI. The firm highlights a Deloitte projection indicating that AI-driven fraud campaigns could cause losses to surge from $12.3 billion in 2023 to $40 billion by 2027.

Andrew Jones, Adaptive Security's chief product officer, noted a significant shift in attack sophistication and volume since the advent of AI. He stressed the urgency for businesses to develop robust strategies to ensure their safety and that of their organizations. The partnership with O'Brien was partly inspired by his "Clutch Cargo" bits. Each training episode begins with a comedic segment relevant to the topic, with additional videos available that do not feature O'Brien.

Adaptive Security, which has raised over $140 million from investors like Bain Capital Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, utilizes a blend of proprietary and public AI models. Their offerings include security training courses and phishing simulations designed to prepare businesses for the evolving threat landscape.