FKA Twigs, a British pop star, has created a deepfake version of herself to interact with journalists and fans while she focuses on her music. This innovative use of technology raises questions about how to differentiate the real fake FKA Twigs from a fake fake version. Similarly, American pop singer Katy Perry’s mother was fooled by a deepfake image of her daughter attending the Met Gala. This highlights the difficulty in distinguishing between real and fake celebrities.
Like FKA Twigs, the author also has a deepfake version of himself to manage interactions with fans and focus on personal tasks. However, this raises concerns about journalists verifying the authenticity of the author’s responses. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen suggests that certifying content as real may be a solution to the pervasive issue of deepfakes. Setting a default on browsers to display only digitally signed content could help users verify the authenticity of images and videos.
Photoshop could be updated to include digital signatures in image metadata, making it easier for platforms like Instagram to verify the authenticity of content. Public keys could be used to encrypt and decrypt metadata, ensuring that images have not been altered. This system would allow users to check the signature and see that the content originated from the creator and has not been manipulated.
TikTok recently announced plans to label AI-generated images and videos using digital watermarks known as Content Credentials. This technology, developed by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, has already been adopted by several tech companies. While labeling AI content is a step in the right direction, it may not be sufficient to combat the widespread issue of bot-generated content on the internet.
Author Cory Doctorow argues that the internet is rife with “botshit,” and initiatives like Amazon’s decision to cap self-published “books” to three per day are necessary to combat the influx of AI-generated nonsense. It is essential to require cryptographic evidence to verify the authenticity of content, even if the creator is unknown. Digital signatures are crucial in ensuring the credibility of online content and may become more valuable in the future.
In conclusion, the rise of deepfake technology poses significant challenges in verifying the authenticity of online content. Establishing systems for certifying and verifying the credibility of digital content, such as using digital signatures, may be essential in combating the spread of misleading and fake information online. As technology continues to evolve, the need for reliable authentication methods will increase to ensure trust and integrity in digital interactions.
