Among the most alarming AI tech. are “deep fakes.” Emerging from R&D labs in ~2017, these powerful media generators are now consumer-grade tools that can create hyper-realistic photo, audio, and video fakes:  from scams that fake the voice of a loved one phoning home for help;  to faked video of a public figure saying something horrific or embarrassing that was never actually said; or a rosy photo of a candidate chumming with a group of happy voters who don’t really exist. All these things have already happened.  And the use of deep fakes to run scams, produce political propaganda, and promote false narratives will continue to grow in scale and sophistication as these technologies become ever more accessible.

   

But perhaps the biggest challenge for civil society will come from the “liar’s dividend” that accrues to those who need to conveniently dismiss an inconvenient fact. Labelling media as “fake news” normalizes the idea that you can’t trust reporters, allowing negative stories to be more readily dismissed. Similarly, many of the deep fakes being circulated on social media may be part of an intentional effort to desensitize us to synthetic media. This is a long-game, intended to usher in an era where we won’t trust even what we see and hear, providing a cover of deniability con artists of every stripe.  

   

“If anything can be a fake, then nothing has to be real.”  While deep fake’s potential as a propaganda tool is immediate and obvious, the “liar’s dividend” is more insidious and structural.  And it is already appearing in political discourse.  For example, a US presidential candidate recently claimed that a photo of a large rally for their opponent was an AI deep fake.  Since 10,000 witnesses could deny that claim, it seems less likely a legitimate denial of the photographic evidence, and more like normalizing the idea that “anything can be a fake”.

   

Trust in traditional media, scientific, and government sources appears to be at an all-time low and falling. Just at a time when we will most need trusted sources to fact-check the media we consume.  Who do you trust to sift the deep truths from the deep fakes? – Joseph Fall