Artificial intelligence deepfakes are easier to make than ever — and our sense of reality and democracy are at risk

In 2023, more deepfake abuse videos were shared than in every other year in history combined, according to an analysis by independent researcher Genevieve Oh. What used to take skillful, tech-savvy experts hours to Photoshop can now be whipped up at a moment’s notice with the help of an app. Some deepfake websites even offer tutorials on how to create AI pornography.

What happens if we don’t get this under control? It will further blur the lines between what’s real and what’s not — as politics become more and more polarized. What will happen when voters can’t separate truth from lies? And what are the stakes? As we get closer to the presidential election, democracy itself could be at risk. And, as Ocasio-Cortez points out in our conversation, it’s about much more than imaginary images.

“It’s so important to me that people understand that this is not just a form of interpersonal violence, it’s not just about the harm that’s done to the victim,” she says about nonconsensual deepfake porn. She puts down her spoon and leans forward. “Because this technology threatens to do it at scale — this is about class subjugation. It’s a subjugation of entire people. And then when you do intersect that with abortion, when you do intersect that with debates over bodily autonomy, when you are able to actively subjugate all women in society on a scale of millions, at once digitally, it’s a direct connection [with] taking their rights away.”

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
            1·
            7 months ago

            I don’t see why “we’re wasting your money” is better than “we’re fighting to get a majority so we can finally pass legislation.”

            • magnusrufus@lemmy.world
              1·
              7 months ago

              Because “we are wasting your money” is false. They are either getting paid to try to advance progressive issues or they are getting paid to sit in their asses and promise to try once they have enough people. That they fail every time it’s false too. Also assuming that putting up no fight doesn’t hurt things is incorrect. Just letting the issue go and letting it become the new normal makes it harder to gain momentum on later.

                • magnusrufus@lemmy.world
                  1·
                  7 months ago

                  You think that drafting no bills and promising to do it later is going to win more seats and not lose them?

                  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                    1·
                    7 months ago

                    Now you’re changing the subject from what you just claimed. This is what you said:

                    They are either getting paid to try to advance progressive issues or they are getting paid to sit in their asses and promise to try once they have enough people.

                    Are you going to admit that drafting a bill costs more taxpayer money than not doing so?

                    Because just hiring legal experts alone, which should absolutely be done before drafting a bill, costs more money than not hiring them.