The Rise of AI Deepfakes on Social Media
By Harper Gardner
Imagine waking up to a new social media video of your favorite celebrity admitting to a crime. They are instantly cancelled and hated by the whole internet, only to find out later that the video was completely fake and made by AI. This issue is currently rising through social media. Advancements in AI have allowed people to create fake videos and scenarios on social media. AI uses machine learning to copy a person’s face and voice. For example, some users on social media have created fake videos using artificial intelligence, which feature celebrities promoting products or political causes. This makes influencers and celebrities more vulnerable to unnecessary hate for a video that they never created, as many may struggle with determining videos that are real or produced by AI, and therefore assume the worst about the creator. This also creates major risks to people’s privacy and consent, as their voices can be stolen and posted online for people to see without their permission. But this issue goes beyond just celebrities. Deepfakes cause the spread of false news that can start a crisis or mass panic if people believe the news is true. For instance, like a deepfake video of the U.S. President announcing war on another country, or a purge within the country. In the future, this issue could become worse as AI constantly advances. We could eventually reach a point where we will not be able to tell what is real or fake on social media. However, companies are starting to find solutions to this growing issue. For instance, some companies are developing AI detection tools, and some social media platforms are beginning to remove fake content from their platforms. Even the government is creating laws that make it illegal to post deepfakes without disclosure or including that the video is produced by AI. Although solutions are being created to contain this issue, it is important for social media users to have media literacy to be able to determine if the content is real or a deepfake.
Sources:
The Deeply Complicated Issues Surrounding Deepfakes – New York State Bar Association
