Deepfake

 I have been teaching criminal justice course for many years. One thing I have warned about for the last 20 years or so is what is now called 'deepfake.

 
A deepfake is a video, photo, or audio recording that seems
real but has been manipulated with AI. The underlying technology can replace faces, manipulate facial expressions, synthesize faces, and synthesize speech. Deepfakes can depict someone appearing to say or do something that they in fact never said or did.

Do you remember the old movie "Wag the Dog" with Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro? It came out in 1997 and was the first time the concept was introduced to the public (as far as I know). Of course it was billed as "entertainment (and it Was...entertaining)

On 16 March 2022, a deepfake appeared online of Ukranian President Zelenskyy calling on Ukrainian citizens to surrender to Russia. The video is considered to be the first use of deepfake technology in a global-scale disinformation attack. (The attack was largely deemed to have failed at its intended goal. )

Suppose you are on a jury in a high profile case and the prosecution introduces video evidence that purports to show the defendant engaged in some nefarious activity. Whether you believe the evidence depends on the confidence you have in the government's investigator's and their evidence.

I expect to see a lot more of this kind of thing. For me, who already has trust issues, I suspect everything that is presented as digital evidence. I don't trust the news, I don't trust politicians,and I am beginning to distrust what I can see with my own eyes.

In Matthew 24:24-25, we are warned "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before."

Blessings
JAS