[PDF] Deep Fakes: A Looming Challenge for Privacy, Democracy, and National Security | Semantic Scholar (2024)

FAQs

How deep fakes could be used to impact national security? ›

For instance, deepfake videos could be used to impersonate high-ranking officials or military leaders, disseminate false intelligence, or manipulate decision-making processes, compromising national security and endangering the safety of citizens.

Deepfakes represent a significant threat to personal privacy as they can be manipulated for personal and financial gain. With the ability to convincingly alter digital media to depict individuals saying or doing things they never did; malicious actors can exploit deepfakes for various purposes.

Deepfakes, an emergent type of threat falling under the greater and more pervasive umbrella of synthetic media, utilize a form of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) to create believable, realistic videos, pictures, audio, and text of events which never happened.

Even scarier are the AI-generated deepfakes that can mimic a person's voice, face and gestures. New cyber attack tools can deliver disinformation and fraudulent messages at a scale and sophistication not seen before. Simply put, AI-generated fraud is harder than ever to detect and stop.

Cyberattacks: AI models can be trained to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in software and systems, potentially leading to major breaches. Deepfakes: The ability to create realistic audio, photo, and video forgeries through AI, or deepfakes, threatens not only biometric-based systems but also public trust.

Five states—California, Texas, Michigan, Washington, and Minnesota—already have such laws in place, with lawmakers in Sacramento contemplating additional action that could include a full ban on AI in political communications. On the federal level, Congress has lagged on tackling the subject compared to the states.

A common example of a deepfake video is 'face swap' in which the face of the victim is placed on a different body. This could create a scene which is embarrassing or even illegal. Another deepfake is known as 'face puppetry' in which the victim's lip movements are manipulated to literally put words into their mouths.

If AI algorithms are biased or used in a malicious manner — such as in the form of deliberate disinformation campaigns or autonomous lethal weapons — they could cause significant harm toward humans. Though as of right now, it is unknown whether AI is capable of causing human extinction.

Beginning in 2019, several states passed legislation aimed at the use of deepfakes. These laws do not apply exclusively to deepfakes created by AI. Rather, they more broadly apply to deceptive manipulated audio or visual images, created with malice, that falsely depict others without their consent.

Social impact

Deepfake videos can also manipulate public opinion and erode trust in media and public sources. The ability to fabricate realistic videos of public figures, politicians, or celebrities saying or doing things they never actually did can have far-reaching consequences for society and democratic processes.

Can software detect deepfakes? ›

It typically utilizes various methods to analyze digital content and determine whether it has been manipulated or generated by AI. With the growing number of deepfakes, Deepfake detection software is becoming increasingly popular to protect against the harmful effects of fake videos and audios.

Not only has this technology created confusion, skepticism, and the spread of misinformation, deepfakes also pose a threat to privacy and security. With the ability to convincingly impersonate anyone, cybercriminals can orchestrate phishing scams or identity theft operations with alarming precision.

Deepfakes are videos, picture or audio clips made with artificial intelligence to look real. They can be used for fun, or even for scientific research, but sometimes they're used to impersonate people like politicians or world leaders, in order to deliberately mislead people.

Individuals can gain autonomy and expand their purpose, ideas, and beliefs by using a personal digital avatar. Synthetic avatars of people with physical or mental disabilities will help express themselves online. Deepfakes can give individuals new tools for self-expression and integration in the digital world.