Deepfake threat looms for B2B marketing leaders, says report

Deepfake technology is posing a significant threat to businesses, particularly for marketing leaders in the B2B sector, according to a recent report by Forrester titled "Deepfakes: The Hidden Threat CMOs Can't Ignore."

The report outlines how deepfakes, which are artificial audiovisual impersonations of real individuals, are increasingly endangering business reputations and operations. Of note, only 20% of organisations currently have incident response and communication plans in place to handle such scenarios, leaving the remaining 80% significantly exposed.

Karen Tran, Principal Analyst at Forrester, stated, "Deepfakes are not just a distant threat; they are a present danger with the potential for long-lasting repercussions, as they can target corporate executives, disrupt business operations, and erode stakeholder confidence." She emphasised the need for CMOs to prioritise preparedness and to develop robust crisis response strategies.

The evolution of deepfake technology, fuelled by advancements in generative AI, is making it more accessible to those with malicious intent. This technology can easily be misused to impersonate key figures within businesses, authorise fraudulent activities, and disseminate misleading information, thereby causing significant disruptions.

Findings from Forrester's research highlighted several concerning gaps in preparedness among marketing leaders. Only a fifth of them reported that their organisations were well-informed on the latest developments in deepfake technology, and just 17% had installed social listening or content verification systems.

Additionally, 68% of marketing executives expressed apprehension over deepfakes leading to staff impersonation and false public narratives, yet many lacked concrete action plans to confront these issues.

A particularly alarming statistic from Forrester's report is that 80% of companies do not have dedicated deepfake crisis response plans. This oversight leaves businesses vulnerable to both significant reputational and operational impacts.

The potential financial repercussions of deepfakes are also a growing concern, with 74% of organisations surveyed fearing financial damage from scams such as fraudulent transactions and phishing attacks. Nevertheless, only a quarter have implemented sufficient countermeasures against such threats.

Despite the advancements in AI-driven solutions capable of detecting and countering deepfakes, less than 30% of companies have adopted these technologies, highlighting a critical gap in technological preparedness.

Another issue is the erosion of public trust, with nearly 65% of executives acknowledging that deepfakes could damage their brand's credibility. However, few industries are taking anticipatory steps to educate consumers or enhance their resilience against such digital threats.

In her blog post, Tran further commented on the need for businesses to create stronger internal partnerships and to prioritise deepfake preparedness, in order to protect their brands from this emerging threat.