OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has raised serious concerns about the growing threat AI poses to traditional identity verification methods, particularly those used in banking and security sectors.
In a recent discussion on the evolving threat landscape, Altman said he is deeply troubled that some financial institutions continue to use voiceprints for user authentication — a method he believes has already been rendered obsolete by advancements in generative AI.
“One thing that terrifies me is that some banks still accept voiceprints to verify identity,” Altman said. “AI has completely broken that method.”
He emphasized that while passwords still offer some degree of protection, modern biometric methods — such as voice and facial recognition — are increasingly vulnerable. With AI tools now capable of flawlessly mimicking voices and generating lifelike images and video, these methods can no longer be trusted.
Altman warned of a coming surge in AI-driven fraud, noting that tools capable of replicating someone’s voice or appearance are already widely available and easy to use. “We’ve tried — and others in the tech community have tried — to raise the alarm. A bad actor could use these tools today. It’s not difficult, and it’s coming fast,” he said.
He cited chilling examples of recent scams in which AI-generated voices of loved ones — like a parent or child — were used in ransom calls to manipulate and panic victims. With the advent of highly realistic AI-generated video calls, these scams are likely to become even more convincing.
“This is going to get so good that we’ll need to completely rethink how we verify identity,” Altman said. “Soon, a voice call or even a FaceTime might not be trustworthy. Society must prepare for a world where traditional authentication methods no longer work — and the implications for fraud and security are enormous.”
The Artificial Intelligence networks are rapidly growing globally; hence, Altman has forewarned the people of a looming AI-driven fraud crisis.
