Deepfakes are AI-generated fake images, videos and audio, designed to deceive, whether with the aim of stealing money by impersonating celebrities or family members, demeaning women and girls, or spreading harmful content online by faking political figures. Hence the UK Government with tech firms such as Microsoft and academics is looking to develop a deepfake detection evaluation framework.
As the authorities point out, tools to create convincing fake content are only becoming cheaper and more widely available.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, said: “A grandmother deceived by a fake video of her grandchild. A young woman whose image is manipulated without consent. A business defrauded by criminals impersonating executives. This technology does not discriminate. The devastation of being deepfaked without consent or knowledge is unmatched, and I have experienced it firsthand.
“For the first time, this framework will take the injustice faced by millions to seek out the tactics of vile criminals, and close loopholes to stop them in their tracks so they have nowhere to hide. Ultimately, it is time to hold the technology industry to account, and protect our public, who should not be living in fear.”
Comment
Andrew Bud, founder and CEO, at the authentication product vendor iProov, said: “AI-generated deepfake content, when used to attack individuals and society, represents a rapidly growing danger. With over 99 per cent of people unable to identify a faked digital image, it undermines the foundations of digital trust and has the potential to cause widespread societal harm, including disruption to critical infrastructure and, ultimately, to national security. While the issue is being addressed in some areas such as identity verification, the threat goes much further, and it’s encouraging to see the UK government taking action. This is the modern battlefield.”
Photo by Mark Rowe
