The Rise of Artificial Intelligence and Viral Videos

Fake news is not a new concept, and most of us have learned to exercise good judgement when it comes to using the internet. Although we have a wealth of information at our fingertips, it is becoming harder to tie information to a credible source.

What is changing is the way that information is being presented to us. Thanks to recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), tech-savvy web users (or abusers) have found a new pastime: fake videos. The source of these leaks aren’t quite as clear-cut as they used to be. Most of the blame used to fall on media outlets when a headline was altered or a quote was taken out of context. But now the everyday web user can infiltrate the internet and alter our perception of reality.

The Rise of Fake AI Videos

Once people started to see just how powerful AI is, curiosity got the best of them. If Photoshop can make normal people into supermodels on magazine covers, imagine what a highly advanced computer system with human-like abilities can do.

It began with not-so-flattering images appearing on the internet. Celebrities and politicians alike were scrambling to undo the damage caused by shockingly realistic photos made using facial-recognition software. Then, when social media caught on and starting spotting the fakes, the culprits had to create a new source of entertainment for users. When it comes to the viral world, there is no such thing as bad publicity – positive and negative attention will increase reach and engagement.   

With the right software and some practice, people learned that they could produce videos of just about anyone with enough information.

The Production of AI-based Videos

AI works off of a process called machine learning, where computers collect and analyze data to accomplish a task. In this case, computers were learning how to produce videos of people using facial and speech recognition software. Computers are taught using patterns – a person they see, a voice they hear, or a skill they are taught. Once a machine learns to recognize a pattern, it can start to make associations.

First, there needs to be a subject. In April, that subject was Barack Obama. In an alleged effort to show the potential danger of AI, American actor Jordan Peele joined forces with BuzzFeed to produce a video of the former President making controversial and profane statements. To the average viewer, there is little evidence supporting the video is a fake, other than Peele’s far-fetched script.

Most people had enough common sense to realize Obama wouldn’t call President Trump is a “total and complete dips—” on the internet. Had Peele and BuzzFeed made a video about climate change or health care, it may have passed as legitimate. But then the video probably wouldn’t have gone viral, and the moral of the story would have been lost.

The most unsettling part of it all is how easy it was to develop and spread. The fake video is a product of three simple ingredients: Adobe After Effects, FakeApp (a popular face-swapping app), and a strong social media presence.

The End Game

AI has endless applications that can vastly improve the quality of our lives. In the wrong hands, though, it is a tool that can be used to create false evidence and distort the information we extract from the internet.  

In this day and age, there is a whole new meaning to the phrase “stop putting words in my mouth.” Technology has empowered us in a way that wasn’t possible before. The distinct line between fact and fiction is starting to fade into a blurred edge.

Is artificial intelligence a threat to our perception of the truth? Perhaps. But AI-based videos are created and made viral by humans. A machine cannot do any damage without somewhere there to operate it.