Deepfakes – The Danger Of Artificial Intelligence That We Will Learn To Manage Better – Forbes
Deepfakes are scarily simple to create. But will this technology create a reality of alternative facts where truth goes to die? No. Deepfakes are a technology, and more widespread abuse is expected with more widespread availability. Over time, we will adopt better transparency, better detection, and, most importantly, each of us users will become more aware and thus better equipped to fight the abuse of Deepfakes.
Deep Fakes are here to stay.
What are deepfakes?
Deepfakes are a way to manipulate images. Image manipulation is not new. Stalin removed Nikolai Yezhov from still images. Today, the underlying technology that creates deepfakes is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI-supported deepfake technology offers improved capabilities - but it also increases the scale for manipulation and bad actor intervention. Starting with obvious examples: Check out this Tiktok compilation about Tom Cruise. FAKE. Or this video of Barack Obama calling Trump a total and complete dipshit. Also, FAKE. The list goes on. There was once a meme in which Nicolas Cage became the fake leading actor of a series of different movies (video compilation). Today, anyone can create a deepfake. No programming skills are needed. If youre interested in learning more about the technology behind deepfakes in detail, take a look at this Forbes article.
Deepfakes are widely used today - and theyre here to stay. Its AI and thus the same technology that helps read human emotions (for example, for people with Autism) or helps identify obstacles on the road (for example, a Duck Chase). Deepfakes are also used in Hollywood: Look no further than to the Star Wars empire, the de-aging in Marvel movies, or the Late Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 7. Deepfakes have the potential to replace high-end CGI, which would save millions of dollars and countless hours of processing time in filmmaking.
But then deepfakes can be - and are - abused. Unfortunately, this type of abuse of technology is nothing new. In my 2014 book Ask Measure Learn I wrote: [...] when email suddenly made it possible to communicate with large numbers of strangers for free, it immediately led to the problem of unsolicited commercial email, better known as spam. When computers could communicate openly through networks, it spawned viruses and Trojan horses. And now that we live in a society of social media channels and information on demand, this world has become flooded with phoney or even fraudulent information. Spam has grown into social spam. [...]
During the 2013 Strata Conference (video), I presented state-of-the-art, AI-driven Bot conversations and the ways to detect them. Our technology has evolved over the last decade, and in addition to fake emails, fake Amazon reviews, and fake bot conversations, we are now dealing with deepfakes. This is pretty annoying. But, on the bright side, the way to deal with this threat remains the same: detection, transparency, regulation, and education.
(1) Detection
A growing number of researchers are studying fake news or building technologies to identify deepfakes. Big Tech firms like Google, Microsoft, and Meta have openly condemned deepfake technology and are creating tools for recognizing them. Microsoft is creating new anti-deep-fake technology to fight misinformation (Microsoft Video Authenticator). YouTube, owned by Google, reiterated in February 2020 that it will not host deepfake videos related to the U.S. election, voting procedures, or the 2020 U.S. census.
With over Millions of dollars of awards, Meta's deepfake detector challenge has encouraged researchers and developers to create algorithms to fight deepfakes. The challenges launch came after releasing a large dataset of visual deepfakes produced in collaboration with Jigsaw, Googles internal technology incubator. In addition, the large dataset of deepfakes was incorporated into a benchmark made freely available to researchers for developing synthetic video detection systems.
In a rapidly evolving and attention-frenzy world, detecting deepfakes is even more important. However, we are nowhere close to distinguishing real content from fake. Some of the best tools out there are Counter.social, deeptrace, Reality Defender, and Sensity.ai (which claims to be the worlds first deepfake detection tool). Still, the best deepfake detector is still only 65% accurate. Even Azure Cognitive Services was fooled over 78% of the time.
The future of these detectors will likely mirror bot detectors, spam detectors, or any other cyber threat detectors. Each evolution will spark a counter-reaction. It will be an arms race, or put differently: future deepfake detection will be as good as your Email Spam Detector and we all know that we still get the SPAM from Nigerian princes in our inboxes.
(2) Transparency
Social networks have allowed us to connect with everyone. This new connectedness means every fringe opinion will find its audience. Lies and fake news have become a business model. Chaos and mistrust were the consequence. To instill trust, social media companies created verified accounts (for example in Twitter). In a world of deepfake abundance, verified accounts alone will not be not sufficient. For instance, even the verified RealDonaldTrump account tweeted a DeepFake of Pelosi, which was widely shared and re-shared. In order to eliminate second-order effects of social networks, a different level of transparency is required.
Perhaps, we can establish trust if we know the source of a given video? One proposition to combat deepfakes points to the usage of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) as a possible solution: If everyone encrypted their videos as NFTs, it would be easy to find and compare different sources of the same moment.
(3) Regulation
Misuse of deepfakes without a clear identification should be outlawed - and regulators around the globe have started to take them seriously. Already in 2019, there were about a dozen federal- and state-level bills to regulate deepfakes. These laws range from criminalizing the use of a womans likeness in a pornographic film without her consent (Virginia Law), to the appropriate use of a deceased persons data (New York Law), and dealing with cheap fakes (low-tech digital frauds not requiring AI). When we look at how personal data is being used, and realize the value of a digital identity, it becomes clear that privacy is a key pillar of a digitally safe environment. To read more on this, see my take on privacy and data.
Spam and Fake news is nothing new.
(4) Education
Coming back to the Nigerian Prince. These scams typically start with an email. The fraudsters offer a share of a vast investment opportunity but, in turn, need some money from you. There are many different versions of this internet scam, and it keeps coming back. But, today, many wont fall for it anymore. Why? Because you have all heard about it (if not, you just did here). Education is the best protection. And just like with the Nigerian Prince, we need the same degree of education for deepfakes.
With that purpose in mind, Channel 4 in the UK created a deepfake of the Queens speech last Christmas. It was hilarious and brought deepfakes into the public discussion. For my course at Cornell, where I teach MBA candidates to design products that use Data and AI, we start each term with a 1min Video summary that Prithvi and I created to welcome the students to the course. Yes, its fun. But its also a reminder to all of us that great technology can be abused.
This article was written with Prithvi Sriram, who has not only been a student of the course, but also helped create toolkits that future students can use to get their hands on Deep Learning. He currently works at Infinitus Systems, a late series B healthcare startup, where he was the founding member of the analytics team.
Please see this Forbes article if you are looking for an overview of different Deep Learning tool sets for deepfakes.
Go here to read the rest:
Deepfakes - The Danger Of Artificial Intelligence That We Will Learn To Manage Better - Forbes
- Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Media and Creative Industries - EDMO - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock That Could Be Bigger Than Nvidia in 5 Years - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Is Up 15% in 2025 Already. It Is Still a Solid Buy? - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Can artificial intelligence be the future solution to the enormous challenges and suffering caused by Schizophrenia? - Nature.com - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education: A Systematic Review - Cureus - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Is Up 15% in 2025 Already. It Is Still a Solid Buy? - AOL - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Federal Executive Forum Artificial Intelligence Strategies in Government Progress and Best Practices 2025 - Federal News Network - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence for General Surgeons: A Narrative Review - Cureus - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- How is Artificial Intelligence Affecting Health Care? - Workers Comp Forum - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 1 Spectacular Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock to Buy With $50 Right Now - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 20+ Advantages and Disadvantages of AI | Pros of Artificial Intelligence - Simplilearn - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Prediction: This Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Will Start Skyrocketing After March 6 - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 1 Surprising Stock Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 2 Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy On the Dip Amid Nasdaq Selloff - Yahoo Finance - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Review: Artificial intelligence is shaping the future of diabetes care - News-Medical.Net - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Prediction: This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock -- a 1,020% Gainer Since Its IPO -- Won't Split Its Stock in 2025. Here's Why - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- A Nobel laureate on the economics of artificial intelligence - MIT Technology Review - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Prediction: This Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Will Start Skyrocketing After March 6 - Nasdaq - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Meta Platforms Just Caused This Crucial Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock to Plummet. Should You Buy the Dip? - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Artificial Intelligence - AI Update, February 28, 2025: AI News and Views From the Past Week - MarketingProfs.com - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- The Ultimate Artificial Intelligence (AI) ETF to Buy With $50 Right Now - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Prediction: This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Company Will Split Its Stock in 2025 - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Should You Forget Nvidia and Buy 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Instead? - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Why Artificial Intelligence Stocks SoundHound AI, IonQ, and C3.ai Are Struggling Today - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 2 Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Ready for a Bull Run - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- AI Cant Do This Anymore: The Dangers of Artificial Intelligence in Academia - Skidmore News - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Whats Next in Artificial Intelligence: Agents that can do more than chatbots - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Geopolitics of artificial intelligence to be focus of major summit in Paris; AP explains - Yahoo - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Geopolitics of artificial intelligence to be focus of major summit in Paris; AP explains - The Associated Press - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- 3 Top Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Buy in February - MSN - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Geopolitics of artificial intelligence to be focus of major summit in Paris; AP explains - Lufkin Daily News - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- 2 of the Hottest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks on the Planet Can Plunge Up to 94%, According to Select Wall Street Analysts - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- These 2 Stocks Are Leading the Data Center Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trend, but Are They Buys Right Now? - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Book Review | Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit - LSE - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- The Artificial Intelligence Action Summit In France: Maintaining The Dialogue On Global AI Regulation - Forrester - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Is prediction the next frontier for artificial intelligence? - Healthcare IT News - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- The Artificial Intelligence in Medicines Market Is Set to Reach $18,119 Million | CAGR of 49.6% - openPR - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Geopolitics of artificial intelligence to be focus of major summit in Paris; AP explains - The Audubon County Advocate Journal - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Around and About with Richard McCarthy: Asking AI about itself: Will artificial intelligence ever surpass humankind? - GazetteNET - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Will the Paris artificial intelligence summit set a unified approach to AI governanceor just be another conference? - Bulletin of the Atomic... - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Apple Stock Jumps on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Driving iPhone Sales. Here's Why It's Not Getting Crushed by the DeepSeek Launch. - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Who will win the race to Artificial General Intelligence? - The Indian Express - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Prediction: This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chip Stock Will Win Big From DeepSeek's Feat - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Prediction: 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks That Will Be Worth More Than Nvidia 3 Years From Now - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- State of Louisiana Launches Innovation Brand, Announces Creation of $50 Million Growth Fund and Artificial Intelligence Research Institute - Louisiana... - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Using smart technologies and artificial intelligence in food packaging can reduce food waste - Yahoo News Canada - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- BigBear.ai Wins Department of Defense Contract to Prototype Near-Peer Adversary Geopolitical Risk Analysis for Chief Digital and Artificial... - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Should Investors Change Their Artificial Intelligence (AI) Investment Strategy After the DeepSeek Launch? - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- 1 Unstoppable Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock to Buy Before It Punches Its Ticket to the $4 Trillion Club - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Got 10 Years and $1000? These 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Are Set to Soar. - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- 1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Down 33% to Buy Hand Over Fist, According to Wall Street - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Rihanna Calls Out Use of Artificial Intelligence on Her Voice to Doctor a Clip of Her Speaking - Billboard - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- 3 Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy in February - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Buying This Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Looks Like a No-Brainer Right Now - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Is Arm Stock a Buy After the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chip Designer Released Its Quarterly Earnings Report? - The Motley Fool - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Artificial Intelligence, the Academy, And A New Studia Humanitatis - Minding The Campus - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- The Trump Administrations Artificial Intelligence Rollback Is a Chance to Rethink AI Policy - Ms. Magazine - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Workday layoffs: California-based company lays off 1,750 employees, 8.5% of its workforce in favor of artificial intelligence - ABC7 Los Angeles - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- It can really transform lives: Navigating the ethical landscape of artificial intelligence - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Legal Restrictions Governing Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace - Law.com - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Google drops AI weapons banwhat it means for the future of artificial intelligence - VentureBeat - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- MPs to scrutinise use of artificial intelligence in the finance sector - ComputerWeekly.com - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Catalyzing Change: Innovation and Efficiency through Artificial Intelligence in Contracting - United States Army - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- STSD to hear cost breakdown, address artificial intelligence in education - The Wellsboro Gazette - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- OECD activities during the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit - OECD - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Tether Ventures Into Artificial Intelligence With New Application Suite - Bitcoin.com News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Will Artificial Intelligence Kill Acting? Nicholas Cage Thinks It Could - Movieguide - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- 3 Reasons to Buy This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock on the Dip - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- 1 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock to Buy With $35 and Hold for the Long Run - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Google renounces its promise not to develop weapons with artificial intelligence - Mezha.Media - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- DeepSeek Just Changed Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forever. 2 Surprising Winners From Its Innovation. - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- FUTURE-AI: international consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare - The BMJ - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- DeepSeek Just Exposed the Biggest Flaw of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Artificial Intelligence Is Here: How The Innovative Technology Is Taking Over The Stateline - WREX.com - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- The Ultimate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy in 2025 - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- This Magnificent Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Has Shot Up Over 175% in Just 3 Months, and It Could Soar Higher in 2025 - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Artificial intelligence is bringing nuclear power back from the dead maybe even in California - CalMatters - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Got $5,000? These Are 3 of the Cheapest Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Buy Right Now - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Compass Capital partners with MIT Sloan School of Management on an artificial intelligence project - ZAWYA - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- 3 No-Brainer Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy With $500 Right Now - The Motley Fool - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]