Overview:
Palauan media personality Jennifer Sugiyama shares her experience being targeted by an AI deepfake — and asks whether Palau is truly prepared for the challenges AI already presents to privacy, jobs, culture, and democracy.
Mesulang for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts.
To be honest, I was both surprised and concerned when I learned that AI-generated content had been created using my image, voice, and likeness without my knowledge or consent. It was a strange feeling and a reminder that AI is no longer something in the distant future—it is already here and affecting our lives today.
While I recognize the many benefits that technology and artificial intelligence can bring, this experience opened my eyes to some of the very real challenges that come with it. One of my biggest concerns is privacy and identity protection. If someone’s voice and image can be replicated without permission, how do we protect people from misuse, misinformation, and deception?
As someone who works in radio, television, and media, I am especially concerned about how difficult it is becoming to distinguish what is real from what is AI-generated. In a small island nation like Palau, where trust and reputation mean everything, misinformation can spread quickly and have lasting consequences. The strength of journalism and media has always been credibility, integrity, accountability, and public trust. People need to know that the information they receive is accurate, verified, and coming from real people who stand behind their words and reporting.
At the same time, I believe AI can be a valuable tool when used responsibly. It can assist with research, organization, translation, content development, and many other tasks that help us work more efficiently. However, I do not believe AI should replace human judgment, creativity, critical thinking, or responsibility. Technology should assist us, not think for us.
I am also concerned about the impact AI may have on jobs and livelihoods. Around the world, we are already seeing companies invest heavily in AI while changing the way they hire and manage their workforce. Many of our people depend on their jobs to support their families, and we must begin thinking about what these changes could mean for future generations.
I recently listened to Ronny Chieng speaking at Harvard. Even through humor, he raised important questions about how quickly AI is advancing and whether society is truly prepared for the changes ahead. His comments reminded me that while innovation is exciting, we must also take time to think about the human impact and the consequences of moving too quickly without understanding where it may lead.
I have also listened to Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVIDIA, who has spoken about AI transforming nearly every industry in the world. His message is both exciting and sobering because it reminds us that the future is changing faster than many of us ever imagined. We are also seeing major companies such as Meta invest billions of dollars into AI while restructuring parts of their workforce. Whether we view that as progress or concern, it is a clear sign that AI is already reshaping the world around us.
These conversations make me ask: What are we doing as leaders? What are we doing as ordinary citizens? Are we educating ourselves? Are we preparing our children and grandchildren? Are we having the necessary conversations about ethics, privacy, jobs, accountability, and the future of our society?
Beyond jobs and technology, I worry about the impact AI may have on human connection. We are already living in a time where many people spend more time looking at screens than talking to one another.
Our culture has always been built on relationships, family, respect for our elders, storytelling, mentorship, and community gatherings. If we are not careful, technology can slowly disconnect us from one another and weaken the very things that have always made us strong as a people.
Palau has always been a nation built on strong family values, respect, culture, traditions, and community. As we embrace new technologies, we must also protect the things that make us who we are. Technology should serve humanity, not replace our humanity. No machine can replace a mother’s love, a father’s guidance, the wisdom of our elders, or the strength that comes from genuine human relationships.
What I find somewhat ironic is that out of all the media personalities and public figures in Palau, this happened to me. Perhaps there is a lesson in that. It certainly got my attention and made me reflect on whether this is something I should be discussing more regularly on our radio and television talk shows to help raise awareness among our leaders and our people.
The reality is that AI is no longer a future issue. It is already here. It is already affecting our daily lives.
I believe this issue is bigger than any one individual. It is something that will affect our economy, workforce, democracy, media, culture, traditions, and future generations. The question is not whether AI will impact Palau—it already is.
The real question is whether we are prepared for it.