Casey Browning
cb591419@yahoo.com
Manipulated photos or videos are everywhere. My family and I watch them on our favorite movies and TV shows where they use editing and computer generated imagery to create amazing scenes. Video manipulation has been around for many years in this form. For example, the below video showing a scene from the movie Forest Gump is altered to appear that Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks, is making a scene with former President John F. Kennedy. This movie was made in 1994, but President Kennedy died in 1963. This is entertaining and a fascinating use of technology.
Forest Gump, 1994
However, the issue with manipulated photos and videos arise when they are used to depict real events. These manipulations spread quickly through news outlets, web, and social media and have the capacity to deceive, emotionally distress, and influence the public actions and opinions
The DeepFakes
One of the most concerning uses of manipulation is the Deepfakes. These are videos that are altered or generated using artificial intelligence. The majority of misinformation and disinformation that they encounter online is far less sophisticated than Deepfakes. Instead, it's bogus memes, fake quotes, and amateurishly altered videos and other crude forgeries usually referred to as Cheapfakes. However, when you google "Deepfakes' an assortment of concerning videos emerge. Everything from scamming to possible election deception. Like many technologies, Deepfakes have jolted traditional rules around evidence and truth. The major threat of Deepfakes doesn't come from the technology used to create it, but from individual's natural inclination to believe what they see, and as a result these don't have to be particularly advanced to be effective in spreading misinformation. According to a UCL report, these fake videos have been ranked by experts as the most worrying of artificial intelligence. They have been linked to distorting democratic discourse, manipulating elections, eroding trust in institutions, weakening journalism, exacerbating social divisions, undermining public safety, and inflicting hard to repair damage on reputations.
Whether we are talking about DeepFakes or Cheapfakes, people need to be cautious when it comes to viewing and sharing content, now more than ever. The National Library Board's S.U.R.E steps help safeguard yourself and others against fake news and altered videos, like deepfakes.
Whether we like it or not, and no matter how troubling the negative implications of Deepfakes may be, they're not going anywhere. We need to educate ourselves on ways to spot fake media. And more importantly find ways to expose it. Also, Lawmakers need to find ways to hold individuals and groups accountable when video manipulation is used in an unethical way.
If you want more information on current threats, solutions, and what media platforms and governments are doing to combat this growing trend read this article by WITNESS.
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