MANILA — Cybersecurity experts and the police warned the public of increasing cases of so-called "deepfakes" or videos and photos digitally manipulated with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) or a computer program.

Deepfake videos of ABS-CBN reporters seemingly endorsing medicines recently circulated online. The fake videos show the journalists reporting with their voices altered.

“These videos have been manipulated. ABS-CBN News items were distorted to make it appear we reported about certain products; we did not,” the network said in a statement.

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Reporters and news anchors from other media outlets also appeared in other deepfakes.

Cybersecurity expert Dominic Ligot said he was alarmed by the rise of deepfakes in the Philippines. While fake videos have been around the country for years now, these are now slowly being used with bad intentions, he said.

“Kung may photo ka online, lalo na kung may video ka, pwede na yan kopyahin ng AI. Usually in the beginning, it’s more for satire or jokes, mga memes, pero ngayon yata ginagamit na siya to sell things kaya yun ang problema,” Ligot said.

PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group’s Chief of the Cyber Response Unit, PCol. Jay Guillermo added that deepfakes could target other people apart from journalists.

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“Pinag-aaralan nila boses mo through a software… They will record words na pwede niya sasabihin na it will make appear na parang boses ng taong totoong nagsasalita,” Guillermo said.

Ligot fears that deepfakes could be abused in the upcoming elections.

“As we get nearer the elections, dadami rin applications kunyari fake news propaganda from a political standpoint," he said.

Experts urged the public to scrutinize all videos and photos they see online, especially those from suspicious accounts.

“Dapat magdalawang isip ang ating kababayan na maraming lumalabas na hindi natin alam kung totoo o hindi,” said Guillermo.

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Guillermo urged victims to reach out to the police so they could investigate. He said they have tools to trace possible culprits.

The Department of Health, meanwhile, expressed concern about the fake videos reportedly endorsing medicines that could be illegal and harmful to health.

“Di mo nga alam kung darating na lang sa 'yo nakabalot sa kahon [ang gamot], pero malay mo kung saan nanggaling yan at kung yung nilagay sa loob ay totoo bang gamot, baka mapasama pa sa ating kalusugan,” DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said.