Did you know that people have just a 50% chance of guessing correctly whether a picture of a face was created by a computer? That is no better than flipping a coin. (You can read more at npr.org).
I don’t know about you but this concerns me. Don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of AI and Machine learning. In fact, I used to do the maths behind some of these algorithms, just for fun. But this is different. It is not about about the science or the performance of AI-ML software. It is about the commoditisation of powerful technology capability allowing just about anyone online to create an imaginary person. And don’t tell me this is about privacy. If one is so concerned about revealing one’s identify, why not use an avatar instead of a deep fake.
The advancements in AI such as Deep Learning, Generative Adversarial Networks and Reinforcement learning are accelerating at a speed like never before. Did you know that 90% of scientists that ever lived are still alive today? We have never had such a staggering amount of brain power behind science in human history. So don’t expect the pace of these innovations to slow down anytime soon.
I don’t think the technology behind Deep fakes is the problem here. We have recently seen inspiring applications for these techniques like this remembrance project for holocaust survivors. In the same way the dangers of ghost guns should not deter us from seeking the promising future that 3D printing can help us create. With every innovation, comes new risks. And to new risks we must find mitigations.
Mitigations come in various forms. There are certainly regulatory aspects. Although I must admit that many of our elected officials have demonstrated a singular lack of grasp for modern technologies which puts them in an odd place to regulate from (see the latest dilemma in EU with the Digital Markets Act).
Another way to mitigate the risks brought by these innovation is by coming up with new protection mechanisms. It wouldn’t be the first time in history that a technology would be born out of necessary to counter-act on the negative effects of another invention. When I look around, I find that we are utterly unprepared for the tsunami of realistic fake content that these technologies will soon unleash upon us. And I believe that a sustainable future for our children depends on our generation’s ability to teach them scepticism and the subtle art of truth finding. But finding truthful facts within zettabytes of content on the internet cannot be done effectively without trusted and independently managed tools. That is why I created Kryptokam. The first of a new generation of truth primitives that people, journalist, politicians or activists can now use in their ever-so challenging effort to separate truth from intentional deceit.
Recent innovations in blockchain and cloud technologies make it easier than ever before to build scalable and independently verifiable applications. So I urge anyone as concerned as I am for the future of our democracies to start building similar primitives so that our children may have the tools to find truth in the digital age.
