Deepfakes are solvable—but don’t forget that “shallowfakes” are already pervasive
Malicious synthetic videos are not yet mainstream, which gives tech companies a chance to prevent future misinformation. But it won’t fix our current flood of fake news.
The technology industry has a unique opportunity to tackle “deepfakes”—the problem of fake audio and video created using artificial intelligence—before they become a widespread problem, according to human rights campaigner Sam Gregory.
Speaking on Monday to an audience at EmTech Digital, an event organized by MIT Technology Review, he said that the deepfakes we’re currently seeing are “the calm before the storm.”
Fake information today does not generally use AI or complex technology. Rather, simple tricks like mislabeling content to discredit activists or spread false information can be devastatingly effective, sometimes even resulting in deadly violence, as happened in Myanmar.
“Now is really the time for companies, researchers, and others to build these very strong connections to civil society, and the different country offices where your products might launch,” he said. “Engage with the people who are closest to the issues in these countries. Build those alliances now. When something does go wrong—and it will—we can start to have the foundation for collaboration and knowledge exchange.”
See the full story here: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613172/deepfakes-shallowfakes-human-rights/