The insurance industry has long been built on trust — trust in data, documentation, and verification. But what happens when even sight and sound can no longer be trusted?
Artificial intelligence–generated “deepfakes” have moved from novelty to threat. Using synthetic media, fraudsters can now fabricate policyholder videos, impersonate agents, or replicate executive voices with alarming accuracy. The result is an entirely new class of cyber and reputational risk—one that existing fraud filters were never designed to catch.
Deepfakes have already reshaped industries from entertainment to politics. Insurance is next. Synthetic identities can bypass KYC systems. Faked accident videos can manipulate claims outcomes. Even internal communications are vulnerable to “video whaling,” where AI-generated executive messages are used to authorize financial transfers or data access.
These attacks don’t just exploit technical systems — they exploit human trust. And in an industry that depends on credibility, that makes synthetic media a board-level issue, not just an IT concern.
What makes deepfakes particularly dangerous is their intersection with compliance and reputation. Regulators including the NAIC and FTC are already emphasizing transparency and accountability in AI use. As deepfake detection becomes part of insurers’ fraud prevention and claims processes, governance and explainability will move to the forefront.
The ability to prove that your organization can detect and respond to synthetic media manipulation will soon be as critical as having cybersecurity insurance itself.
This emerging threat landscape demands more than awareness—it requires strategic readiness. Leadership teams must begin treating synthetic media not as a distant risk, but as an active dimension of enterprise resilience and customer trust.
The question is no longer if your organization will encounter deepfakes—but when, and how ready you’ll be to respond.
Hitech Advisors’ white paper, Deepfakes and the Rising Cybersecurity Threat to Insurance, explores this issue in depth—covering real-world incidents, detection challenges, and the governance shifts insurers need to prepare for.
Hitech Advisors
