“The true danger lies not in the machine becoming more like the man, but in the man becoming more like the machine.” This statement by Hipnode PR Executive, Myah Cooper, no longer belongs to the realm of philosophical musings but has found potency amidst the rise of artificial intelligence.
Today, distortions of reality do not just inhabit the pages of science fiction, they are being propagated on social media, spawning what may be the next big challenge of the information age – the creation of false memories using deep fakes.
Manipulated Media: A New Norm
The casual social media user is no stranger to the labels on posts informing them about manipulated media. From photos of Pope Francis in a giant white puffer jacket going viral to a convincingly realistic AI video made ostensibly for Balenciaga’s marketing campaign – we’ve all seen or heard of such instances.
But what about photos of former U.S. President Trump that emerged during speculations of his possible indictment? Iridescent with real-time relevance, it becomes alarmingly easy to find ourselves believing such misleadingly created content.
Deep Fakes: A Force of Disinformation
Deep fakes, a burgeoning type of deceptive content, are alarmingly ingenious. These AI-generated videos can effortlessly tamper with the facial expressions and speech of public figures, presenting entirely distorted scenarios under a veneer of reality. The potential of such AI-weaponized deception to ‘implant’ false memories is not mere fiction but is rooted in established cognitive science.
The term “Mandela Effect” is fairly known – a phenomenon where a large group of people collectively remember an event or detail differently from what actually happened. A phenomenon largely influenced by suggestions, new information, and recollection of incidents, which becomes a playground for deepfakes to exploit.
The Influence on Memory: A Tug on Autonomy
So, what’s the big deal? Deep fakes sway not just our memory but subsequently, the choices we make, our socioemotional states – our identity. This direct interference challenges the sense of autonomy – our ability to make free decisions for ourselves.
The malleability of our memories has long been a subject of scientific research. Most revealing is the notion that our minds are especially prone to forming false memories, a susceptibility that can be accentuated on the internet where false ideas breed and multiply.
In an enlightening experiment by Slate’s William Saletan, readers were shown a mix of photos from real events plus one of five randomly selected fake events. The surprising result? In each fake photo, false memories were provoked in at least 15% of respondents while 50% believed the event depicted in the image occurred.
A Perception Threat: The Future of False Memories
The implications of such findings underscore the growing threat to our perception of history. Not only do we stand at risk of conjuring incorrect memories about factual details but entire events as a whole. The evolving landscape of artificial intelligence calls not just for adaptability but also increased vigilance.
Adopt a critical approach to any content that is encountered. Cross-verification, checking the authenticity of the source, and separating what we want to believe from what is factual, become vital tools in this battle against deep fakes and false memories. However, ultimately, the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of our memories lies with us – the users.
“Being aware is the first step towards change,” Myah Cooper reminds us, indicating that not all is lost in the fight against deep fakes. With knowledge, skepticism, and responsibility, reality, as we know it, can continue to exist as an unmanipulated entity.
To find out more information on this research, go to https://hipnode.com/
