Deepfakes and Misinformation

Deepfakes and Misinformation

Social Media's Call to Arms for Technological Vigilance in the 2024 Election

With the next US presidential election in 2024, the possibility of deepfakes becoming a mass phenomenon surrounding the election makes the problem of fake information on social media even more pressing. Social media platforms need to be the key innovators at the technological forefront of solving the deepfakes challenge and fake news problem so that democratic elections can be saved.Deepfakes, artificial-intelligence-generated synthetic media that manipulates audio and/or video to deceive the viewer, can mislead the public and cause doubt toward political discourse. In response, social media platforms that play a vital role in political communication should be investing in sophisticated technologies to detect and curb deepfakes.That requires working with deepfake artists, AI experts, research institutions and tech innovators to stay one step ahead of the developments in deepfake. That means embracing an atmosphere of collaboration and knowledge exchange. One consequence of that may be that social media companies will need to expand their teams of analysts. But the result would be worth the investment: creating resilience against bad actors intent on using the technology for political ends.Platforms should alert users to the likelihood of deepfakes, and provide tools that let users engage with and assess information about what’s likely to be authentic and what’s not. This will help to train users in ways that make them more vigilant about the information they receive online.For starters, social media platforms need to have robust policies for dealing with deepfakes and misinformation, spelling out what is being done and exactly how it is working to make sure that they aren’t on the platform in the first place. Having transparent ways of working in content moderation helps build a firm basis of trust between users and the platforms, and is important for social media companies to prove that they are committed to upholding the free and democratic ideals of truth and reliability.By making strategic technological investments, creating partnerships and educating users, social media platforms can be more than just ‘watchmen of the digital disorder’. They can become bulwarks against the corrosive spread of deepfakes. Preventing the next suite of deepfake disinformation attacks won’t be easy. It becomes simpler if entrances into the online realm are protected, and all semi-private spaces are guarded. Although the boundaries of our digital ecosystem may appear ambiguous, the necessity to safeguard unbiased collective knowledge, to cling to truth while leaders lie, remains ubiquitous.