The concept of using artificial intelligence to stitch a simulated face onto another, allowing one to don another’s identity, sounds like a fictional concept from a high-tech Lovecraftian horror. However, we find ourselves in a world where this is not only a serious concern, but a rapidly progressing reality. The recent development of simulating voices has exacerbated the deepfake issue, with James Earl Jones, the voice of Mufasa and Darth Vader, being simulated in a recent Star Wars release. These fakes have far surpassed the novelty phase and have been fully embraced by the most mainstream of corporations. Last year, it was announced that Disney hired a YouTuber that used deepfakes that made Disney’s technology seem antiquated.
These rapid advances in technology will not slow down. Often, we can detect deepfakes by recognizing a slight inconsistency here, and a small glitch there. This time is coming to an end. Soon, deepfakes will be indistinguishable from reality, and we will have to rely on AI algorithms to discern the truth for us. And thus, we will truly be living in a sci-fi Lovecraftian horror. One where anyone on a screen can not only be a faceshifter, but a fabrication in its entirety. How can you be sure you are truly talking to your friend on the phone when we know that your devices listen to your every word, capable of informing an algorithm how to deepfake your own voice?
This technology was once a novelty. It quickly became a source of curiosity. Soon, it may cause us to doubt the reliability of our judgment, and bring us to question how we interact with technology.