Congressman Adam Schiff and members of SAG-AFTRA are calling for immediate measures to control the proliferation of so-called “deepfake” technology.
“Deepfakes” are essentially videos that use a to realistic digital forgery of videos or audio created with cutting-edge artificial intelligence that misrepresent another person.
This rapidly evolving technology is becoming more realistic and could signal next wave of attacks on politicians.
Congressman Adam Schiff attended a SAG-AFTRA panel where he acknowledges how foreign adversaries, like Russia, could present “deepfake” videos online to influence the upcoming presidential election or cause riots in a major city.
“The applications are as varied as the imagination,” says Congressman Schiff. “This discussion has opened me eyes to a whole lot of issues and problems.”
Panelists discussed the emerging threat of “deepfakes” in the midst of a misinformation war where the rules of engagement have no boundaries.
Another panelist Dr. Hany Farid, Professor at UC Berkeley, says “there is a lack of respect for the truth.” The digital forensics expert adds, “we must start thinking about digital literacy and that includes the next generation of consumers, how to threat people online and how you consume news online.”
An example of “deepfakes” is a video of former President Barack Obama created by filmmaker Jordan Peele. He created the video as a public-service announcement warning about the danger of deepfakes.
One of the two actors on the panel and SAG-AFTRA member Heidi Johanningmeier echoed the sentiment of the panelist and many in attendance “we need to respect one another.”
