Adrian JohnsonTLDR:
- Last week, social media platforms were flooded with AI-generated obscene photos of Taylor Swift, causing a protest from her fans.
- An AI system mimicked President Biden, making phone calls to voters and telling them to stay home in the New Hampshire primary.
- A comedy special by the late comedian George Carlin, created using AI, has sparked a lawsuit from the Carlin estate.
- Congress is considering new AI-related bills to address deepfake technology.
- The AI wave is being described as a “tsunami of disinformation.”
Artificial intelligence is causing real problems as deepfake technology proliferates. Last week, AI-generated explicit photos of Taylor Swift went viral on social media, prompting a protest from her fans. The president himself was also mimicked by AI, with a fake President Biden making phone calls to voters in the New Hampshire primary, urging them to stay home. Computer scientist Oren Etzioni warns of a “tsunami of disinformation” created by AI.
Even more complex are the legal issues arising from AI-generated content. Comedians Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen created a comedy special featuring the voice of the late comedian George Carlin, using AI technology. They have stated that the special had no involvement from Carlin, but are now facing a lawsuit from the Carlin estate, accusing them of “bastardizing” Carlin’s work and legacy.
Congress is taking these mounting risks from AI seriously and considering new bills to regulate deepfake technology. AI-generated content undermines trust and poses a threat to public discourse, making it crucial to address this issue.
As the technology advances, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and manipulated content. Consumers are urged to verify information from reliable sources and not believe everything they see or hear. Technology may eventually catch up with AI fakery, but in the meantime, caution and skepticism are necessary.