More than four-fifths (83%) of consumers in Singapore are concerned about the potential for AI and deepfakes to influence upcoming elections in their country, according to the 2024 Online Identity Study by identity verification provider Jumio.
Respondents feel that deepfakes undermine trust in politicians and media, with 76% reporting increased skepticism in the content they see online compared to the last election.
Yet, 66% of consumers in Singapore say they trust political news they see online, despite the possibility of encountering audio, video and image deepfakes. This is higher than the global average of 43%.
The study reveals that Singapore consumers are most confident in their ability to easily spot a deepfake of a political figure or celebrity — at 60% compared to just 33% in the UK, 37% in the US and 51% in Mexico.
“With half of the global population participating in elections this year, the potential influence and impact of generative AI and deepfakes demand our immediate attention. Public faith in online information is crumbling, demanding a transparent discourse to confront this challenge and empower citizens with the tools to discern and report deepfakes. Online platforms hold a critical duty to leverage cutting-edge detection measures like multimodal, biometric-based verification systems to fortify our defences against deepfakes influencing pivotal elections,” says Jumio CEO Robert Prigge.
AI to transform customer support agent roles.
Zendesk’s Future of AI-powered CX report reveals that 70% of industry leaders in Singapore believe all customer channels will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI) in three years. They expect AI to support human agents by providing real-time diagnostic assistance and recommendations.
As such, 86% of industry leaders in Singapore say customer support agent roles will evolve to cross-functional roles for more holistic service. Three-quarters believe they will only handle complex escalations that involve in-depth troubleshooting. Proficiency with AI tools, advanced problem-solving, and continuous learning will, therefore, be crucial for agents. This change will help them provide superior customer experiences, boosting their productivity and the quality of their service.
“Customer experience [CX] leaders across Asia Pacific are feeling the pressure to adopt AI into their CX organization, with over 90% saying the pace of change is overwhelming. With only a quarter of leaders in the region describing their AI adoption as advanced, industry leaders are recognizing the gaps and taking steps to strengthen their CX,” says Maureen Chong, regional vice president for Asia at Zendesk.
She adds: “Key areas they are addressing include enhancing data security, investing in new CX technologies, expanding AI and automation in service delivery, integrating generative AI, and optimizing self-service support. Done right this won’t just help businesses weather ongoing economic uncertainties — it will, in fact, give them a competitive edge.”
