[Answered] What are the concerns associated with deepfakes? Suggest solutions to counter the menace of deepfakes.

Deepfakes are digital media – video, audio, and images edited and manipulated using Artificial Intelligence. It is basically hyper-realistic digital falsification. Access to commodity cloud computing, public research AI algorithms, and abundant data and availability of vast media have created a perfect storm to democratise the creation and manipulation of media. This synthetic media content is referred to as deepfakes.

Concerns associated with deepfakes:

• Deepfakes can be used to damage reputation, fabricate evidence, defraud the public, and undermine trust in democratic institutions.
• Pornographic deepfakes reduce women to sexual objects causing emotional distress, and in some cases, lead to financial loss and collateral consequences like job loss.
• Deepfakes can also cause short-term and long-term social harm and accelerate the already declining trust in traditional media.
• Deepfake could act as a powerful tool by a malicious nation-state to undermine public safety and create uncertainty and chaos in the target country. Deepfakes can undermine trust in institutions and diplomacy.
• Deepfakes can be used by non-state actors, such as insurgent groups and terrorist organisations, to show their adversaries as making inflammatory speeches or engaging in provocative actions to stir anti-state sentiments among people.
• Leaders may weaponise deepfakes and use fake news and alternative-facts narrative to dismiss an actual piece of media and truth.

Solutions to counter the menace of deepfakes:

• Media literacy efforts must be enhanced to cultivate a discerning public. Media literacy for consumers is the most effective tool to combat disinformation and deepfakes.
• We also need meaningful regulations with a collaborative discussion with the technology industry, civil society, and policymakers to develop legislative solutions to disincentivising the creation and distribution of malicious deepfakes.
• We need easy-to-use and accessible technology solutions to detect deepfakes, authenticate media, and amplify authoritative sources.
• Deep Fakes must be included under hateful manipulated media, propaganda, and disinformation campaigns.
• Journalists should be provided with tools to examine the authenticity of images, video, and audio recordings. For that, they require proper training and resources.
• Policymakers need to understand how deep fakes can threaten polity, society, economy, culture, individuals, and communities.

The best way to deal with this menace is AI-backed technological tools to detect and prevent deep fakes. These tools must be invented by the countries in cooperation as soon as possible because these technologies are even capable of invoking wars among countries, in this information age.