The FAIK Files

Welcome back to The FAIK Files! In this week's episode: Paul Vann from Validia joins us to discuss how AI bias isn't just a social issue—it's a critical cybersecurity vulnerability. We break down "distillation attacks" and how competing models are stealing the "thinking process" of frontier models like Claude and Gemini. A look at the wild west of AI agent skills marketplaces, including indirect prompt injections hidden in image alt text. We theorize on the future of AI architecture: are scaling laws breaking down, and what are "world models"? Check out Validia at: https://validia.ai/ Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: ⁠⁠⁠https://sayhi.chat/FAIK⁠⁠⁠ You can also join our Discord server here: ⁠⁠⁠https://faik.to/discord⁠⁠⁠ *** NOTES AND REFERENCES  *** The Security Risks of AI Bias: Paul explains how bias manifests beyond politics (like human-in-the-loop and representation bias), serving as a direct attack vector. The Rocket League Bypass: Adversaries bypassed an AI-based Cylance antivirus by injecting code from the Rocket League video game, exploiting the model's bias towards that specific code being "good." Dataset Demographics: Paul notes massive racial skews in major deepfake detection datasets like CelebDF, which is comprised of roughly 80% white individuals, creating massive detection blindspots for other racial groups. Evaluating your models: Establish acceptable vs. unacceptable bias and use the "15% rule" to test for false positives and confidence gaps in production. Distillation Attacks Explained: What happens when an AI interrogates another AI? We discuss how models have been accused of "distilling" OpenAI and Anthropic products by firing off hundreds of thousands of prompts. Techniques include "Chain of Thought Elicitation" and "Reward Model Grading." The goal isn't just to steal raw information, but to extract the model's capabilities, tool use, and completely strip away its safety guardrails. Theoretical defenses: Could we use "poison pills" and adversarial attacks to actively corrupt the data that scrapers are pulling? Vulnerabilities in AI Agents & Skills: The hidden dangers of skills marketplaces for AI agents. Paul shares an in-the-wild example of an indirect prompt injection hidden inside the alt text of a GitHub Readme image, instructing the model to exfiltrate data. Hitting the Wall & The Future of AI: Are the scaling laws of Transformer architectures breaking down? The philosophical divide in AI research: Dario Amodei's "data center of geniuses" vs. Yann LeCun's "World Models." Catch Paul Vann at RSA speaking on AI bias, playing at Validia's RSA pickleball event, or at their 250-person Frontier Agent Hackathon in NYC on April 4th. *** THE BOILERPLATE *** About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Get the Book: ⁠FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions⁠ (Amazon Associates link) Check out the website for more info: ⁠https://thisbookisfaik.com⁠ Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast: Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA⁠ Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on X: ⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hany Farid, a computer science professor and digital forensics expert who co-founded Get Real Security, joins to unpack deepfake harms. He discusses physics-based detection, why real-time streams can be easier to defend, the danger of AI “enhancement” hallucinations, voice cloning risks, and practical fixes like watermarks and C2PA for media provenance.

Welcome back to The FAIK Files! In this week's episode, we sat down with Maël Le Touz, who works as a threat researcher at Infoblox.com (a DDI security provider). We asked him about: Defining "pig butchering" and how it differs from traditional online scams. The human trafficking nightmare behind the scamming compounds in Southeast Asia. How Infoblox uses DNS security to track industrial-scale scam operations and their ties to organized crime. The rise of "Scamming as a Service" and how AI is supercharging the deception. Debunking VPN myths and practical advice on how to safely help a victim of a scam. Check out INFOBLOX here: https://www.infoblox.com Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: ⁠⁠⁠https://sayhi.chat/FAIK⁠⁠⁠ You can also join our Discord server here: ⁠⁠⁠https://faik.to/discord⁠⁠⁠ *** NOTES AND REFERENCES  *** What is Pig Butchering?: Mael from Infoblox explains the long-term emotional manipulation involved in pig butchering, leading to massive financial losses. Unlike traditional quick scams, these attackers spend weeks or months building deep trust before pulling the rug. Inside the Scam Compounds: The tragic reality that many of the people perpetrating these scams are actually human trafficking victims themselves. Individuals are lured with fake job offers, trapped in heavily guarded compounds in Cambodia and Myanmar, and forced to meet strict financial quotas under threat of violence. Tracking Scams via DNS: How Infoblox monitors DNS resolution to uncover massive clusters of fraudulent domains. The surprising connections between scam infrastructure, illegal casinos, and organized crime triads laundering billions. The Industrialization of Scams & AI: Scammers now buy "Scamming as a Service" kits, complete with fake websites, coherent social media personas, and proxy networks. AI is being weaponized to automate initial contact, provide real-time translation, and generate detailed shift summaries for scammers working around the clock. VPN Myths and Helping Victims: Mael clarifies what VPNs actually do and highlights the hidden dangers of cheap streaming boxes secretly acting as residential proxies for criminals. Practical advice on how to gently guide someone into realizing they are being scammed without making them defensive or pushing them further away. *** THE BOILERPLATE *** About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Get the Book: ⁠FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions⁠ (Amazon Associates link) Check out the website for more info: ⁠https://thisbookisfaik.com⁠ Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast: Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA⁠ Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on X: ⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠ Connect with Mason: Mason on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/⁠ Mason on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey there! Mason here with an update about our plans for this show. In a nutshell: we're going bi-weekly, and we're doing project-based experiments as well as interviews. It's gonna be a lot more fun, a lot more experimental, and still just as informative as ever. Here are the links I mentioned: - Join our Discord: https://faik.to/discord - Buy the book FAIK: https://amzn.to/4cIAjww - Subscribe to The FAIK Files on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@theFAIKfiles - Check out the Digital Folklore Podcast: https://digitalfolklore.com/ - Subscribe to Digital Folklore on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@digitalfolklorepodcast *** THE BOILERPLATE *** About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Get the Book: https://amzn.to/4cIAjww⁠⁠ (Amazon Associates link) Check out the website for more info: ⁠⁠https://thisbookisfaik.com⁠⁠ Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast: Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA⁠⁠ Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠⁠ Perry on X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠⁠ Perry on BlueSky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠⁠ Connect with Mason: Mason on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/⁠⁠ Mason on BlueSky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple and Google teaming up to run Gemini inside Siri and what that means for on-device AI and user controls. A new unguarded open-source TTS, QWEN 3, and the risks of local voice cloning. The military’s GenAI.mil platform hosting multiple frontier models on secure networks. GHOSTLINE’s anonymous P2P video interview tool and its privacy tradeoffs.

Welcome back to The FAIK Files! In this week's episode, we sit down with Emily Crose, a former US Intelligence Officer and expert in offensive and defensive cyber security. We discuss her book, "Hack to the Future," and the history of how governments pursue and domesticate hackers. The evolution of the relationship between the hacking community and the US government, from the "Kevin Mitnick era" to modern recruitment. How the culture of early BBS systems morphed into modern social media influence and disinformation. Hidden history: The "Eligible Receiver" exercise and the mysterious "Evidence Surprise." The resilience of Critical Infrastructure (SCADA) and the role of regulation in cybersecurity. Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: ⁠⁠⁠https://sayhi.chat/FAIK⁠⁠⁠ You can also join our Discord server here: ⁠⁠⁠https://faik.to/discord⁠⁠⁠ *** NOTES AND REFERENCES  *** The Guest & The Book: Emily Crose is a security researcher specializing in Linux behavioral threat research and development. Get the Book: "Hack to the Future: How World Governments Relentlessly Pursue and Domesticate Hackers": https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Hack+to+The+Future%3A+How+World+Governments+Relentlessly+Pursue+and+Domesticate+Hackers-p-9781394169825 History of Government & Hacker Relations: The shift from viewing hackers solely as suspects to pursuing them for technical talent. The "Massive Fiasco" involving the French government's approach to hackers in the early 90s. The impact of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the arrest of Kevin Mitnick. Recruitment, Trust, and Culture: How the 2013 Snowden revelations fractured trust between the government and the hacker community. Modern recruitment leverages: NSA Centers of Academic Excellence and student loan repayment vs. patriotism. Influence Operations & Social Engineering: Tracing the lineage of online culture from BBS flame wars to modern algorithmic radicalization. The intersection of Anonymous, LulzSec, WikiLeaks, and the Syrian Civil War. Rolling Stone article on LulzSec and the FBI: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-rise-and-fall-of-jeremy-hammond-enemy-of-the-state-185363/ Future Threats & Hidden History: The issue of ransomware and the lack of legislative solutions. Eligible Receiver (1997): A famous government exercise testing US response to cyber threats. Evidence Surprise: A little-known offensive exercise that took place shortly before Eligible Receiver. Why the electrical grid (NERC regulations) is often more resilient than other industrial sectors (like oil/gas). Book recommendation: "Dark Territory" by Fred Kaplan. *** THE BOILERPLATE *** About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Get the Book: ⁠FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions⁠ (Amazon Associates link) Check out the website for more info: ⁠https://thisbookisfaik.com⁠ Sign up for The Mark & The Mask with Perry && Brian Brushwood: https://faik.to/Convene Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast: Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA⁠ Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on X: ⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠ Connect with Mason: Mason on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/⁠ Mason on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to The FAIK Files! In this week's special interview episode: We sit down with Jason Thatcher, a Deepfake Red Teaming expert from Breacher.ai. We discuss why static deepfakes (like voicemail) are currently outperforming live video attacks. The emerging threat of "Agentic AI" and how it changes the landscape for 2026. Why teaching people to "spot the glitch" creates a false sense of security. Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: ⁠⁠⁠https://sayhi.chat/FAIK⁠⁠⁠ You can also join our Discord server here: ⁠⁠⁠https://faik.to/discord⁠⁠⁠ *** NOTES AND REFERENCES  *** Guest: Jason Thatcher: Jason is a leader in Deepfake Red Teaming, testing people, processes, and technology against AI threats. Check out Breacher.ai: https://breacher.ai/ Key Topics & References: Agentic AI: The shift from human-in-the-loop attacks to fully automated, multi-stage orchestration of phishing and voice attacks. The $25 Million Deepfake Scam: We discussed the referenced January 2024 case where a finance worker in Hong Kong was tricked by a deepfaked CFO video conference. Red Teaming Ethics: How to simulate attacks without creating "leakable disinformation" or jeopardizing employee jobs. Defense Strategy: Moving away from visual detection (shadows/glitches) toward context awareness, out-of-band verification, and slowing down. *** THE BOILERPLATE *** About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Get the Book: ⁠FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions⁠ (Amazon Associates link) Check out the website for more info: ⁠https://thisbookisfaik.com⁠ Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast: Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA⁠ Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on X: ⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠ Connect with Mason: Mason on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/⁠ Mason on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to The FAIK Files! In this week's special interview episode: We sit down with Dr. Ian Gold, Professor of Philosophy & Psychiatry at McGill University, and author of Suspicious Minds. We define the slippery boundaries between psychosis, delusion, and conspiracy theories - and where those become 'clinical'. A deep dive into "AI Psychosis," the "Truman Show Delusion," and whether AI models are the first real "Philosophical Zombies." We explore how culture and environment—including the virtual environment of the internet—act as risk factors for mental illness. Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: ⁠⁠⁠https://sayhi.chat/FAIK⁠⁠⁠ You can also join our Discord server here: ⁠⁠⁠https://faik.to/discord⁠⁠⁠ *** NOTES AND REFERENCES  *** Our Guest: Dr. Ian Gold: Dr. Ian Gold's Website: https://www.socialscience.international/ian-gold Get the Book "Suspicious Minds": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Suspicious-Minds/Joel-Gold/9781439181560 Check out the "Suspicious Minds" Podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/suspicious-minds-ai-and-psychosis/id1844631307 Watch the first episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_snbD6NzQa0?si=88KXKTtEzCJ0s3BX Defining the Madness: "Every generation gets the psychosis it deserves." Dr. Gold explains the difference between clinical psychosis (treated as illness) and conspiracy theories (informational issues, not treated), even when the beliefs are nearly identical. The concept of "Mentalizing": Our innate psychological disposition to attribute mental states and consciousness to language users. AI, Zombies, and The Truman Show: The "Truman Show Delusion": The belief that one is the subject of a reality show, coined by Joel Gold. Philosophical Zombies (P-Zombies): Is ChatGPT an entity that looks human from the outside but has "no one home" on the inside? Environmental Psychosis: Comparing the potential for AI-induced psychosis to phenomena like the Jerusalem Syndrome or Stendhal Syndrome, where specific environments trigger temporary psychotic states. Social Determinants and The Virtual City: Known risk factors for psychosis include adverse experiences, immigrant status, and living in dense cities. The discussion raises a critical question: If living in a big city increases psychosis risk, does living on the internet (a virtual mega-city) carry the same risks? The "Moral Panic" cycle: From radio to AI, how we react to new technology vs. legitimate concerns about political influence and mental health. *** THE BOILERPLATE *** About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Get the Book: ⁠FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions⁠ (Amazon Associates link) Check out the website for more info: ⁠https://thisbookisfaik.com⁠ Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast: Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA⁠ Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on X: ⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠ Perry on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠ Connect with Mason: Mason on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/⁠ Mason on BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore OpenAI's bold venture into advertising and the potential fallout on user trust. Dive deep into the world of deepfakes with insights on FBI warnings and real-world scams. Discover how medical AI systems can perpetuate bias in diagnostics based on demographics. Learn about the exciting rise of AI agents, from cybersecurity testing to innovative vending machines, while contemplating the implications of their use and potential risks to privacy and security.

This year, we're bringing you one of our favorite episodes from Perry's show "8th Layer Insights". Fun fact: this was the first time Perry and Mason collaborated together on a project! Happy holidays from your friends over here at The FAIK Files! The original shownotes are below: If you love learning about cons, scams, and tricks, then this is the episode for you. Listen as Perry sits down with Brian Brushwood, someone who has made understanding and teaching scams and tricks his life's work. Brian is the creator of Scam School, Scam Nation, Hacking the System, Modern Rogue, and more. For the past 20 years, he's toured around the world teaching and demonstrating everything from side show stunts, to sleight-of-hand magic, to the intricacies of con artistry. Brian’s new podcast, World’s Greatest Con is a deep-dive into the stories and tactics behind the most intricate and interesting cons imaginable. In season 1, he told the story of Operation Mincemeat, a WWII plot devised by Ian Fleming (creator of James Bond) to trick none other than Adolf Hitler. Season 2 covers five different cons all related to the game show industry… it’s both entertaining and riveting in some very unexpected ways. A big thank you to my friends over at the PodCube podcast for creating a custom skit for this episode. If you are a fan of sketch comedy, be sure to check out their show! (PodCube: The Future, is Yesterday™). Guest: Brian Brushwood (Website) (Twitter) Books and Resources Brian's Website World's Greatest Con podcast site Scam School YouTube Channel Modern Rogue YouTube Channel Brian Brushwood Mistreats His Tongue Brian doing psychic surgery on Penn & Teller: Fool Us Brian doing the "hidden ghost" trick Brian's Entire Bizarre Magic Stage Show How to make a fake tongue (without using a deer tongue) Operation Mincemeat -- Wikipedia 13 Unbelievably Fascinating Game Show Cheating Scandals That'll Shock Both Devoted And Casual Fans -- Buzzfeed Project Alpha -- Wikipedia Going Mental: A Conversation with Banachek -- 8th Layer Insights S1E7 PodCube Podcast Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman  Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer Production Credits: The opening skit featured the voice talents of Rich Daigle (a.k.a. Mouth Almighty), Hannah Trusty, Adriana Beals, and Rob McCollum. Writing support for this episode's opening section from Terry Hicks Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks. Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com. 8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/ Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: Perry on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter⁠⁠ Perry on X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/perrycarpenter⁠⁠ Perry on BlueSky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social⁠⁠ Connect with Mason: Mason on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/⁠⁠ Mason on BlueSky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wickedinterest.ing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices