As the U.S. election cycle looms, artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes are creating a buzz on social media, duping several public figures and laying bare the risks of manipulated media.
What Happened: Fabricated explicit images of singer Taylor Swift, voice alterations of U.S. President Joe Biden, and videos featuring deceased children have been widely shared, causing worry among lawmakers and citizens alike, reported Bloomberg.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre voiced her concern on Friday, saying, “We are alarmed by the reports of the circulation of false images.”
“We are going to do what we can to deal with this issue.”
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Fake explicit images of Swift drew millions of views on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) before their removal. Owned by Elon Musk, the platform reportedly took several hours to take down the images, allowing them to spread virally, despite rules against such content.
AI specialist Henry Ajder noted that the ease with which such disturbing content can be created is a source of worry, particularly for women and girls, regardless of their geographical location or social status.
Swift’s fans expressed their outrage following the incident, leading to the trending phrase “protect Taylor Swift” on the platform.
Ajder urges companies and regulators to step up and halt the spread of manipulated media, suggesting that different stakeholders should “do a better job creating friction in the process from someone forming the idea to actually creating and sharing the content,” the report noted.
Why It Matters: The ease of creating deepfakes has been demonstrated before. Last year, both students at a New Jersey school and a developer used AI to generate and share fake images and information, respectively. These incidents flagged the potential misuse of AI.
High-profile figures have also been targeted. Earlier, actress Scarlett Johansson sued an AI generator for unauthorized use of her likeness.
Concerns are also raised over AI-generated news. Previously, a report revealed 49 AI-generated news websites, highlighting the technology’s potential to enhance fraudulent techniques.
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