A video of a doctor promoting dietary supplements. The doctor seems real, and the message sounds convincing, but there’s one major problem: the video is completely fake. What should a hospital do when a deepfake like this suddenly appears on social media? And how can you prevent false information about your organization from spreading further?
These questions were the focus of the first edition of “In de Ring,” FirstRing’s community event. Under the theme “The Battle with AI for the Truth About Your Hospital,” communications professionals from various Dutch hospitals gathered in Amsterdam to exchange experiences, share knowledge, and get to know one another better.
After all, how often do crisis communication professionals actually get together without a crisis or training session on the agenda?
What if a deepfake of your doctor starts circulating?
One of the most striking parts of the event was the story told by Margie Alders of Radboudumc. She described a deepfake in which a gynecologist from the hospital supposedly endorsed dietary supplements. The video was completely fake, but the doctor looked lifelike.
Margie walked the audience through the dilemmas faced by the communications department. How do you protect the doctor involved? Do you respond publicly, at the risk of drawing even more attention to the video? And what steps can a hospital take? Her story made it clear just how real the consequences of deepfakes have become and how important it is for a communications department to be prepared for these kinds of situations.
Will we still be able to tell what's real in the future?
AI specialist Maarten Sukel then took the participants on a journey into the world of deepfakes and disinformation. How do you recognize a deepfake, how quickly can such videos be created, and what can we expect in the coming years? Maarten also discussed how AI systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot gather information about organizations. After all, what does ChatGPT actually say about your hospital? And how much influence does your organization have over that information?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) was also discussed, and it became clear that the differences between it and traditional search engine optimization (SEO) are less significant than is often thought. These were interesting topics that sparked plenty of questions and discussions.
Interesting in terms of content and incredibly fun
In addition to all the in-depth content, there was, of course, plenty of opportunity to get to know each other better. An important goal of In de Ring is to bring communication professionals together to exchange experiences, without a crisis or training session on the agenda. The substantive program was followed by a tour of Norrsken House Amsterdam, where FirstRing has its offices. This was followed by a boat tour of Amsterdam, complete with a sumptuous dessert. It was a wonderful opportunity to continue the conversations and wrap up the day on a pleasant note.
In the Ring: This leaves me wanting more!
With this first edition, we wanted to create a space where communications professionals could share knowledge, exchange experiences, and connect with one another in an accessible way. Thanks to the active participation, interesting conversations, and enthusiastic feedback from the participants, we can look back on a very successful event.
Thank you to everyone who attended and made this first edition so special!
