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They don't need to be perfect. They just need to be convincing. Consider MP3 files. Any audiophile will tell you that a compressed MP3 file is a piss-poor repr
by SamuelAdams 6y ago
They don't need to be perfect. They just need to be convincing.
Consider MP3 files. Any audiophile will tell you that a compressed MP3 file is a piss-poor representation of the true sound. The best experience is to listen to a band live, then vinyl, then FLAC.
And yet the majority of people listen to MP3 files. They strike the right balance of file size and sound clarity for an overwhelming amount of systems, doubly so since online streaming took off. So now that people have become accustomed to the sound of MP3, they are not used to anything else. They are convinced that an MP3 file is the "true sound" of the song.
Right now deepfakes is in its infancy. Personally I think it is improving at an alarming rate. If I shared the moon video on Facebook I am willing to bet most people would think it is real. They don't notice the clipped speech, the subtle double head nods. Their minds are not as critical of video as you and I are. So to them, they are convinced it is real.
What happens when only machines can detect if something is authentic or a fake? What happens when not all site administrators scan for videos and fail to mark them as illegitimate? What happens when courts use deepfakes unknowingly as evidence to convict someone, or impeach a president, or fire a worker for sexual harassment? We have already seen what happens when "verified" twitter accounts are compromised - what if a CEO puts out a video announcing some controversial new endeavor, or admission to fraud?
There are very real concerns about this technology and I believe it will very soon become a weapon that takes misinformation and turns it into very real consequences.
- cookienapper 6y agoMisinformation is already a huge issue; deepfakes can only exacerbate and compound the issue in ways we can't even imagine at this time. Imagine deepfake used to create false alibis, 911 calls, etc... That's probably not even the tip of the iceberg in coming years. The fact we went in KNOWING it's a deepfake gave us an unmeasurable advantage/bias. For uninformed individuals that "stumble" upon this on the web, one can only imagine how it'll playout. This thought actually terrifies me... imagine a hypothetical (and conservative) 10% overall improvement AND production price reduction to this video every 6-12 months. @SamuelAdams: Wish this site had a messaging system. Would be interesting to have a 1 on 1 discussion on this topic with you.
- SamuelAdams 6y agoYou mention phone calls. Right now robocalls are very common. But what if those random calls legitimately sounded like your parents, or your spouse, or your kids. Furthermore, what if they sounded like they were in real trouble and really needed money fast? This technology opens up whole new arenas to more legitimate scams.
- kube-system 6y agoThis is already being done to scam high profile targets. Example: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2019/09/03/a-voice-deepfake-was-used-to-scam-a-ceo-out-of-243000 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2019/09/03/a-voice...
- cookienapper 6y agoI'm sure deepfakes will be used in fake kidnappings, social engineering, scams, etc. I can't begin to imagine the scale of damage this can cause. The reality is that a "well" executed 10 second deepfake can cause public panic, etc. The potential for abuse is just too high. Its not a matter of if, it's a matter of WHEN this is economically and technologically available to the masses. The next 5-10 years is going to be a very confusing time to be alive...
- purple-again 6y agoHow is the best experience to listen to a band live? I have had literally the exact opposite experience in life. Concerts are lots of fun, but when its comes to listening to the actual music at the concert, unquestionably not even close to the quality of a sound booth.