New book warns AI deepfakes are eroding trust and leadership

Global Book Publishing has released the e-book The Age of Fakes!, edited by Dr. Nikolai A. Behr, to show how deepfakes, fake news and AI-driven deception are changing business risk, crisis response and public trust. The book targets executives and other decision-makers who need to rethink verification and governance as synthetic media spreads.

Why it matters: - AI-generated deception is moving from a technical threat to a business and leadership problem. - The book argues that trust can be manipulated or destroyed quickly in an environment where deepfakes and synthetic content are easier to produce. - Executives, educators, cybersecurity professionals, communicators and first-time AI users are the intended audience. - The book frames verification, accountability and crisis response as core organizational needs, not optional communications skills.

What happened: - Global Book Publishing announced the e-book launch of The Age of Fakes!: How AI Abuse, Fake News, and Deepfakes Threaten Business and Society on June 30, 2026. - Dr. Nikolai A. Behr, CSP edited the book. - The release is distributed by Global Book Publishing on behalf of brain script® Verlag. - The print edition is also available. - The book link is here.

The details: - The book examines how artificial intelligence, deepfakes, fake news and disinformation are reshaping trust, leadership and business risk. - It looks at impacts on decision-making, reputation, financial controls, public trust and crisis communication. - The project grew out of discussions among international experts in communication, cybersecurity and leadership at conferences of the German Speakers Association and the National Speakers Association. - Contributors come from Canada, the United States, Germany, Austria and Georgia. - Contributors include Bryce Austin, Jim Harris, Thilo Baum, Mariam Kublashvili, Nils Bäumer, Roland Pucher and Thorsten Jekel. - The book covers AI abuse, synthetic media, CEO fraud, cybercrime, fake news, corporate governance, digital transformation and trust in AI. - The book is positioned as business and technology nonfiction focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and leadership. - Early readers included Nido R. Qubein, Ravin Jesuthasan and R. “Ray” Wang. - Qubein called it “an excellent book” that gives readers tactics and techniques for professional success. - Jesuthasan described it as a practical and far-reaching review that should be required reading as AI affects society and business. - Wang said the book shows why AI governance must focus on systems and people, not only laws.

Between the lines: - The book is trying to shift the conversation from AI productivity gains to AI misuse and organizational exposure. - Behr’s background in communications, media training and crisis communication gives the project a practical, leadership-oriented angle. - The international contributor list suggests the authors want the book to read as a cross-border warning, not a single-market commentary. - The emphasis on trust reflects a broader message: companies may need to treat verification processes like a risk control, not just a media or IT issue.

What's next: - The book is now available as an e-book, with print distribution already in place. - Behr said understanding AI abuse, deepfakes, disinformation and fraud is no longer optional and should be treated as a leadership responsibility. - The publication is aimed at helping organizations prepare before a crisis forces the issue.

The bottom line: - The Age of Fakes! argues that the next AI crisis may not be about automation, but about deception, trust and leadership failure.