AI-Driven Deception and Defense

This unit examines how generative AI and digital tools are used to create, amplify, and weaponize deceptive content and scams. Students study real-world case studies, emerging threats, and media-literacy techniques to build practical cognitive and procedural defenses that prepare them for advanced mitigation strategies in the next unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze common vectors and techniques used in AI-enabled deception (e.g., jailbreaking, output weaponization, social engineering) and categorize their technical and psychological components
• Evaluate emerging threats and case studies, including GenAI-powered ScamBots, to identify patterns, indicators of deception, and potential impacts on individuals and organizations
• Apply media-literacy and fact-checking strategies to assess the authenticity of digital content by using at least three verification methods (source evaluation, reverse search, metadata analysis)
• Demonstrate the development and application of cognitive and procedural defenses by creating a checklist and executing a simulated response to an AI-driven scam scenario