Accra:More than a third of office workers in Singapore are uncertain about their ability to distinguish between genuine messages from their CEOs and those generated through artificial intelligence, including deepfake technology. This finding comes from a report by digital workforce security company KnowBe4.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the report, titled 'Would You Know Your CEO's Real Voice? Singapore's Growing Deepfake Vulnerability,' is based on a Censuswide survey of 500 office workers in Singapore. It highlights a growing concern as AI-enabled scams exploit hierarchical trust structures within organizations. KnowBe4's Chief Information Security Officer advisor, Dr. Kawin Boonyapredee, emphasized the need for training and simulations to alter behavior across all levels of seniority.

The research indicates a dual vulnerability in Singapore's workplaces. Junior and middle-tier employees often hesitate to question senior leaders, while senior managers may overestimate their ability to detect deepfakes. Notably, half of the respondents expressed discomfort in challenging requests from senior executives, and 52 percent worried about potential repercussions.

Additionally, 45 percent of those surveyed expressed equal concern about delaying a senior leader's request and causing a cybersecurity incident, with nine percent preferring the risk of a security breach over delaying a request. Senior managers showed the highest confidence in identifying fakes at 78 percent, yet also exhibited a higher likelihood of complying with a cloned CEO voice at 35 percent, compared to 16 percent among clerical workers.

Only 26 percent of respondents reported receiving training on AI-generated scams involving senior leaders, and a mere 10 percent identified employee trust in senior leaders as the primary cybersecurity threat in their workplace. The report concludes that technology alone is insufficient to combat AI-enabled impersonation and stresses the need for an environment that encourages employees to speak up and for senior managers to adopt stronger verification practices.