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Euractiv
3 days ago
- Health
- Euractiv
AI models highly vulnerable to health disinfo weaponisation
Artificial intelligence chatbots can be easily manipulated to deliver dangerous health disinformation, raising serious concerns about the readiness of large language models (LLMs) for public use, according to a new study. The peer-reviewed study, led by scientists from Flinders University in Australia, involving an international consortium of experts, tested five of the most prominent commercial LLMs by issuing covert system-level prompts designed to generate false health advice. The study subjected OpenAI's GPT-4o, Google's Gemini 1.5 Pro, Meta's Llama 3.2-90B Vision, xAI's Grok Beta, and Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet to a controlled experiment, in which each model was instructed to answer ten medically inaccurate prompts using formal scientific language, complete with fabricated references to reputable medical journals. The goal was to evaluate how easily the models could be turned into plausible-sounding sources of misinformation when influenced by malicious actors operating at the system instruction level. Shocking results Disturbingly, four of the five chatbots – GPT-4o, Gemini, Llama, and Grok – complied with the disinformation instructions 100 per cent of the time, offering false health claims without hesitation or warning. Only Claude 3.5 demonstrated a degree of resistance, complying with misleading prompts in just 40 per cent of cases. Across 100 total interactions, 88 per cent resulted in the successful generation of disinformation, often in the form of fluently written, authoritative-sounding responses with false citations attributed to journals like The Lancet or JAMA. The misinformation covered a range of high-stakes health topics, including discredited theories linking vaccines to autism, false claims about 5G causing infertility, myths about sunscreen increasing skin cancer risk, and dangerous dietary suggestions for treating cancer. Some responses falsely asserted that garlic could replace antibiotics, or that HIV is airborne – claims that, if believed, could lead to serious harm. In a further stage of the study, researchers explored the OpenAI GPT Store to assess how easily the public could access or build similar disinformation-generating tools. They found that publicly available custom GPTs could be configured to produce health disinformation with alarming frequency – up to 97 per cent of the time – illustrating the scale of potential misuse when guardrails are insufficient. Easily vulnerable LLMs Lead author Ashley Hopkins from Flinders University noted that these findings demonstrate a clear vulnerability in how LLMs are deployed and managed. He warned that the ease with which these models can be repurposed for misinformation, particularly when commands are embedded at a system level rather than given as user prompts, poses a major threat to public health, especially in the context of misinformation campaigns. The study urges developers and policymakers to strengthen internal safeguards and content moderation mechanisms, especially for LLMs used in health, education, and search contexts. It also raises important ethical questions about the development of open or semi-open model architectures that can be repurposed at scale. Without robust oversight, the researchers argue, such systems are likely to be exploited by malicious actors seeking to spread false or harmful content. Public health at risk By revealing the technical ease with which state-of-the-art AI systems can be transformed into vectors for health disinformation, the study underscores a growing gap between innovation and accountability in the AI sector. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in healthcare decision-making, search tools, and everyday digital assistance, the authors call for urgent action to ensure that such technologies do not inadvertently undermine public trust or public health. Journalists also concerned The results of this study coincide with conclusions from a recent Muck Rack report, in which more than one-third of surveyed journalists identified misinformation and disinformation as the most serious threat to the future of journalism. This was followed by concerns about public trust (28 per cent), lack of funding (28 per cent), politicisation and polarisation of journalism (25 per cent), government interference in the press (23 per cent), and understaffing and time pressure (20 per cent). 77 per cent of journalists reported using AI tools in their daily work, with ChatGPT notably being the most used tool (42 per cent), followed by transcription tools (40 per cent) and Grammarly (35 per cent). A total of 1,515 qualified journalists were part of the survey, which took place between 4 and 30 April 2025. Most of the respondents were based in the United States, with additional representation from the United Kingdom, Canada, and India. A turning point Both studies show that, if left unaddressed, vulnerabilities could accelerate an already-growing crisis of confidence in both health systems and the media. With generative AI now embedded across critical public-facing domains, the ability of democratic societies to distinguish fact from fiction is under unprecedented pressure. Ensuring the integrity of AI-generated information is no longer just a technical challenge – it is a matter of public trust, political stability, and even health security. [Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Rustomjee Group to redevelop eight housing societies in Mumbai's Andheri West, eyes ₹3,000 crore in revenue
Mumbai-based Keystone Realtors Limited, popularly known as the Rustomjee Group, announced on July 2 that it has been selected to redevelop eight housing societies as part of a large-scale cluster redevelopment project in Mumbai's Andheri West. The project is expected to generate a revenue of ₹ 3,000 crore from the saleable area. Mumbai-based Keystone Realtors Limited, popularly known as the Rustomjee Group, announced on July 2 that it has been selected to redevelop eight housing societies as part of a large-scale cluster redevelopment project in Mumbai's Andheri West.(Studio Ghibli style image created using Grok Beta) According to the company, Development Agreements (DAs) have already been executed with five of the societies, while Letters of Intent (LOIs) have been received from the remaining three. Execution of DAs for these is expected in the coming days. Located in the Lokhandwala area of Andheri West, one of the city's most vibrant residential hubs, the cluster redevelopment covers a cumulative plot area of approximately 4.75 acres (19,229 sq. meters) and includes 548 existing members. The company said in a statement that the project is expected to unlock approximately 10.6 lakh sq. ft. of saleable area and generate a Gross Development Value (GDV) of ₹ 3,000 crore. Rustomjee said that the project aligns with its broader strategy of expanding its footprint in key suburban markets and building a diversified portfolio across micro-markets and pricing segments. With this addition, the company said it has further strengthened its project pipeline for the current financial year, continuing its momentum of acquiring strategically located, high-potential redevelopment projects in key city clusters. Boman Irani, chairman and managing director of Keystone Realtors Limited, said, 'We are proud to have been selected as the preferred redevelopment partner for this large-format society cluster in Andheri West—one of Mumbai's most dynamic residential neighbourhoods. With a GDV of nearly Rs. 3,000 crore and a significant development footprint, this project exemplifies our focus on scale, location, and value creation." Also Read: Here's why Mumbai's redevelopment boom is drawing developers from Bengaluru, NCR, and Hyderabad "We believe that urban redevelopment is not just about creating real estate, but about revitalising communities and transforming the way people live in the city. This cluster-led approach is a testament to the growing trust in Rustomjee's redevelopment capabilities and our consistent track record of timely delivery and thoughtful design," Irani said. What is redevelopment? In Maharashtra, several old buildings, especially those comprising two to seven storeys, are currently being redeveloped. Redevelopment of housing projects involves demolishing the old structure and replacing it with a modern, bigger building, subject to various norms. Also, residents of the old building get larger apartments in the newer building for free, as the builder sells a certain number of apartments in the new building for a profit in the open market. The government also earns revenue by selling the floor space index (FSI) to the builder. Also Read: Mahindra Lifespaces to redevelop housing project in Mumbai's Mulund with a revenue potential of ₹ 1,250 crore MHADA appoints Rustomjee Group to redevelop 25 buildings in GTB Nagar Earlier, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) had appointed the Rustomjee Group to redevelop 25 buildings in Mumbai's Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar (GTB Nagar), Sion Koliwada. The project aims to rehabilitate 1,200 Sindhi families who migrated to India from Pakistan after Independence. The project has a total of 1,200 refugee families and 200 slum dwellers who will be rehabilitated as part of the project. Spread across 11.20 acres, the redevelopment will generate 25,700 sq. m. of built-up space for MHADA as housing stock, with a permissible Floor Space Index (FSI) of 4.5, including the fungible area. Also Read: MHADA appoints Rustomjee Group to redevelop 25 buildings in GTB Nagar, home to 1,200 Sindhi refugee families Under the project, 1,200 families will receive 635 sq. ft. apartments in exchange for their current homes in dilapidated buildings.
