Deepfakes are a type of artificial intelligence that can create realistic, fake videos and images. They are made by using deep learning algorithms to generate data that looks and sounds like real people. Deepfakes have been used for everything from creating fake celebrity porn to spreading false information about political candidates.
J Scott Christianson, an associate teaching professor at the University of Missouri, recently gave a presentation on deepfake content creation and its future implications. In his talk, he outlined the dangers presented to society and how they could be used to manipulate information and spread propaganda. He also discussed ways in which we can fight against deepfakes and protect ourselves from their harmful effects.
Deepfakes and the future of content creation
The dangers of deepfakes lie in their ability to manipulate and deceive people. Because deepfakes look and sound so realistic, it can be difficult to tell if a video or image is real or fake. This makes content that has been manipulated a powerful tool for spreading disinformation and propaganda. In the age of video conferences as a part of our normal workday, there could also be risks of live-deep-faked content. The problem is that we trust video far more than we trust still images. Maybe this will change as well going forward but right now this is a relevant aspect.
Think about business meetings on big contracts or think about the hiring process of interviewing a job candidate. Further risks could lie in the future of biometric systems for verifying our identity. If people can be tricked into believing they are seeing a different person, related tech might also help criminals to get access into places they should have no access to, based on a deep-faked biometric check.
We can fight back against deepfakes by creating awareness about their existence and how to spot them. We can also work to develop technology that can detect deepfakes and prevent them from being created in the first place.
Deepfakes are a new and emerging threat, but we can protect ourselves against them if we are vigilant and informed. J Scott Christianson’s presentation with a focus on content creation is a valuable resource for understanding deepfakes and their implications for our future. In the video that we embedded below, you can watch the whole talk that has been prepared for the MU Edge Program.
YouTube: Deepfakes and the future of content creation
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by Sata Creative.
