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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.

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Deepfakes - The Danger Of Artificial Intelligence That We Will Learn To Manage Better - Forbes

With the advent of technology, transformation at the workplaces have been constant. This process has seen a massive push by the sudden lockdowns caused by the pandemic. Today, business experts are predicting that the future is not very far when many of the business processes will be automated and operated by artificial intelligence which will reshape the workforce with new functions and skills.

To take a deeper dive into the ocean of skills that will be relevant in such a future, we spoke with Urvi Aradhya, CHRO, K Raheja Corp. Here are some excerpts from the interaction.

Workplaces and work philosophies have witnessed a sea change in the past couple of years. Transforming business models and evolving roles, have had their impact on the roles of employees, across functions, levels, industries, and organizations. The current environment demands greater flexibility and agility from team members to develop and hone the skills necessary to collaborate across locations and time-zones, in real time, to successfully attain their business goals. As the scenario unfolds, technology has been at the forefront of enabling this transition.

Working styles will see some hybrid elements. Offices, however, are here to stay as a place for congregation, camaraderie, mentorship, interactions, training, learning and development, which all benefit immensely from interpersonal interactions.

This is an often-asked question, with a lot of commentary on losing jobs to machines and so on. But outside of the realm of science fiction, AI or any other technological progress will ease life.

We must remember, AI is still a tool. A hammer, no matter how smart, will still not be able to do anything without people to lift it.

Much has also been written about technology being an enabler and it has never held truer. With the volume of data required to be processed only increasing and waiting times shrinking every day, we have reached a point where automating is more efficient. And the roles and areas AI are implemented are usually mundane and monotonous for people. Instead of losing employees to burn outs and quiet quitting due to dissatisfaction with their jobs, it helps to automate the machine-executable roles and allow the employees to better utilize their talent in areas where they can contribute better.

Identifying future leaders and equipping them with the right training and mentorship is an ongoing commitment at K Raheja Corp. This helps us attract a diverse set of leaders, from across locations, ethnicities, backgrounds and specialties.

At K Raheja Corp, we have developed an intuitive leadership enhancement programme -Shikhar. This is a six to eight-month, high-potential blended learning journey that allows us to evaluate employee performance, understand their natural inclinations, and assess their leadership potential.

Another offering is the Re-launch policy, whereby we hire talent that is keen to return to work after a sabbatical. For such returning talent, we provide function-specific training to help update them on the latest required skills and information on digital marketing, architecture, engineering, as well as upgrade sessions on interpersonal skills, mental health, emotional well-being, and more!

We are committed to groom our talent holistically to evolving as better managers and inspiring leaders.

American submarine officer Don Walsh once said, Manage machines, lead people. And this is the best way to lead companies into the new era of technology-enabled workplaces.

Machines and technology improve human efficiency; they do not replace them.

That is why highly trained employees will never go out of vogue. We are not in an age of technology-induced obsolescence, but in times of tech-enabled transformation. The success of leaders, today, rests on how well they can leverage technology to make the best decisions they can, since they affect all stake holders, especially employees and customers.

We are heading towards an era of collaborative working.

We already see teams harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence through predictive analytics, data mining, business process automation, and other avenues. And the skills for this are being sown in schools currently.

The path to success for a progressive organization is to transform with the times, not only to improve efficiency, but also attract and inspire future generations. As bots assist in various low-level processes and operations, employees will be able to hone higher skills in their respective fields to perform better and optimise resources.

At K Raheja Corp we continually evolve our digital and technological footprint to be future ready with a workforce that has the skill sets to with the latest technology and still deliver on hallmarks of traditional human roles, delighting our customers and stakeholders.

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We must remember, artificial intelligence is still a tool & needs humans to operate it: Urvi Aradhya of K Raheja Corp - People Matters

Debiopharm Innovation Fund strategically invests in Whitelab Genomics' mission to make genomic medicine development faster and leaner for more efficient access to cancer patients in the future

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Debiopharm Innovation Fund, the strategic investment arm of Swiss biopharmaceutical company Debiopharm (www.Debiopharm.com), announced today their investment in Whitelab Genomics alongside French Venture Capital company, Omnes Capital, in a$10 Million Series A Round to advance their mission to accelerate the development of genomics medicines via technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Whitelab Genomics' computational platform reduces biotherapies' development time and cost, enabling faster access to the market and cheaper therapeutic solutions available for patients in need. Debiopharm's investment in Whitelabs Genomics contributes to the growth plan of the start-up' R&D team and US operations. Such an investment aligns with Debiopharm's focus on investing in digital health solutions that improve the cancer patient journey, transform pharmaceutical R&D, and shift healthcare towards a more patient-centric approach.

Founded in 2019 by David Del Bourgo, MBA, and Julien Cottineau, Ph.D., alongside a team of world-class data scientists specialized in AI, computational biologists, molecular biologists, and genomic medicine scientists, the start-up offers in-silico simulations customized for target discovery, vector, and payload design, genotoxicity assessment and identification of experimental protocols of in vitro and in vivo strategies.

"We're moving into a time where AI-based technology will play a critical role in drug development.With better ways to develop drugs, de-risk assets, de-risk any toxicity, and ensure efficacy, we're able to bring more personalized drugs to patients that's precisely what Whitelab Genomics is proven to do," stated Tanja Dowe, CEO of the Debiopharm Innovation Fund.

"The value of using this AI-based platform is the potential acceleration of pre-clinical, translational stage, helping drug research companies quickly design payloads and vectors and identify the best experimental protocols for in vitro and in vivo tests," said Hamzeh Abdul-Hadi, Investment Director of the Debiopharm Innovation Fund.

"We are very excited to close this first institutional investment round with such renowned investors with deep knowledge of the pharma environment. With this funding, we can continue developing our proprietary data sets and algorithms for both payload and vectors, and develop our collaborations with our customers," expressed David Del Bourgo, CEO and co-founder of Whitelab Genomics.

About Whitelab Genomics

WhiteLab Genomics, based in Paris and Cambridge (MA) was founded in 2019 by David Del Bourgo and Julien Cottineau, experts in genomics drug development and commercialization. WhiteLab Genomics aims to revolutionize genomic therapies development using public and private data and in-house AI algorithms. Whitelab Genomics supports its clients through the in-silico development phases enabling them to quickly develop target vectors and payloads and save precious time needed to give patients access to new genomic therapies. In only 2 years, Whitelab Genomics has convinced leading European and US Biotech and pharma to use its solutions for their new drug development programs, including RNA, DNA & Cell therapies. WhiteLab Genomics is also collaborating with world-renowned INSERM and Genethon laboratories and has been selected by Y-Combinator in its Winter 2022 batch. The company has won multiple awards, including the Galien Foundation nominee for startups, the Alumni New Venture Fund from the Polsky Innovation Center at the University of Chicago, and the Future 40 from Station F.

For more information, please visit http://www.whitelabgx.com

About Debiopharm Innovation Fund

Debiopharm Innovation Fund, the strategic investment arm of Swiss biopharmaceutical company Debiopharm,provides strategic funding and guidance for companies with an ambition to improve the patient journey, re-imagine how clinical trials are conducted, along with companies offering digital platforms that support cutting-edge drug technologies.Since 2017 Debiopharm has invested in 14 digital health companies,typically leading the investment rounds.

For more information, please visitwww.debiopharm.com/digital-health/We are on Twitter. Follow us @DebiopharmNewsathttp://twitter.com/DebiopharmNews

Debiopharm Contact

Dawn BonineHead of Communications[emailprotected]Tel: +41 (0)21 321 01 11

SOURCE Debiopharm International SA

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Debiopharm Co-leads a 10M USD Series A Round to Accelerate the Development of Genomic Medicines through Artificial Intelligence - PR Newswire

Exeter Engineering, an American manufacturer of electronic sorting, washing, receiving, and related machinery for the fresh produce industry, has installed an upgraded version of its proprietary ID Technology system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically grade and sort bell peppers.

The system uses an integrated suite of cameras, lighting, and software to size and grade bell peppers for color, size, weight and even shape defects, all using AI to implement operator-set grading choices. It transmits live images of every bell pepper passing through the sorter, across all lanes, to operators, allowing them to adjust on the fly or see the effects of adjustments they are considering.

"AI-powered grading gives packers some gains in speed and accuracy, especially compared to older systems," said Matt Lonczynski, sales engineer at Exeter Engineering. "We are already seeing accuracy rates of 90 percent."

The bell pepper capability is one part of the upgrades made to ID Technology in its second major release: version 2.0. Hardware improvements in version 2.0 included a new camera hood and upgraded lighting. "The new lighting was crucial for getting imagery of sufficient quality to successfully size and grade bell peppers," said Boomer Batchman, president of Exeter Engineering. "With better imagery in both visible and infrared light spectrums, the AI gives more accurate results."

Oculus 1300 compact 3-drop sorter and an example of ID Technology 2.0 for potatoes.

PotatoesThe ID Technology system has been working on potatoes for over a year, with accuracy rates of 95 percent on some customers' packing lines. The new version 2.0 hardware, combined with a software upgrade, now allows potato packers the option to use the AI to differentiate between three or more grades. They can also use the new "severity classification" feature, which allows operators to adjust for the severity of a variety of defects to move products from one category to another.

"With 'Severity classification,' ID Technology is coming out with another unique feature," said Lonczynski. "It allows the sort of granular control that used to come only after an operator had years of experience. Now it's automatic."

Exeter Engineering is currently testing a new version of ID Technology's software suite that will add the ability to sort sweet potatoes, and it hopes to have that capability by Fall 2022.

"By upgrading to an AI-powered system, packing houses can save both time and money," said Batchman. "ID Technology provides reliability and consistency quicker and more efficiently than older systems, which relied more on the skill and experience of the operator. Our potato clients are looking at returns on their investment in a year, a year-and-a-half. We think there will be a similar result for bell peppers, cucumbers, and other produce types we have in the pipeline."

This screen shows the accuracy of various defects. It's just one screen of the ID Technology 2.0 control interface.

For more information: Boomer BatchmanExeter Engineering Tel: +1 (559) 592-3161bbatchman@exetereng.com

Matt LonczynskiExeter Engineering Tel: +1 (559) 592-3161mlonczynski@exetereng.comhttps://www.exeterengineering.com/

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The use of Artificial Intelligence to automatically sort bell peppers, potatoes and more - hortidaily.com

Capitol Music Records has severed ties with an artificial-intelligence-powered rapper days after the release of his first single amid intense backlash accusing the artist of perpetuating racist stereotypes.

Artist FN Meka became the worlds first augmented-reality music artist to be signed to a major record label earlier this month, releasing his first single Florida Water on August 12. The single featured Fortnite gamer Clix and Atlanta rapper Gunna.

Meka already has over 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 10 million followers on TikTok, where his posts allow fans a peek into his virtual world, which includes huge Bugatti jets, Maybach helicopters, and a machine that turns ice into iced-out watches.

However, backlash quickly rose up on social media with users pointing out their discomfort with how Meka is portrayed, claiming the creation was equivalent to digital blackface and that his content on Instagram and TikTok trivialized incarceration and police brutality.

One Instagram post showed the rapper being beaten by a police officer in a jail cell because he wont snitch.

On Tuesday, activist nonprofit Industry Blackout wrote an open letter to Capitol summarizing the issues brought to light.

It is a direct insult to the Black community and our culture. An amalgamation of gross stereotypes, appropriative mannerisms that derive from Black artists, complete with slurs infused in lyrics, the statement said. We find fault in the lack of awareness in how offensive this caricature is.

Industry Blackout called for Capitol to cut ties with the artist and donate any associated funds to charity or other black artists under the label.

Capitol quickly responded in a statement shared online by New York Times journalist Joe Costarelli, confirming that it had dropped the rapper with immediate effect.

Mekas debut single Florida Water has also been removed from all streaming platforms.

We offer our deepest apologies to the Black community for our insensitivity in signing this project without asking enough questions about equity and the creative process behind it. We thank those who have reached out to us with constructive feedback in the past couple of daysyour input was invaluable as we came to the decision to end our association with the project, the statement read.

Meka is partially backed by A.I. and was cocreated by Anthony Martini and Brandon Le of the company Factory New. While the voice is based on a real human, the rest is all down to artificial intelligence.

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Capitol Records forced to drop its artificial-intelligence-created rapper after just one week following gross stereotypes backlash - Fortune