Beware: AI Now Fools Millions with Fake News, Photos, Videos

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used more and more to generate fake news stories, images, and videos that look real. This makes it very difficult for people to tell what's real from what's fake online.

A recent survey from cybersecurity company Netskope showed that many people can't tell the difference between real news and AI-generated fake news. The survey found that 84% of people in the UK and 88% in the US were confident they could identify a fake story. But when tested, about half of them thought an AI-generated fake story was real.

With new AI tools like Midjourney and DALL-E 2, it's easy for anyone to create realistic-looking fake images and videos. These AI creations often spread quickly on social media and fool both average people and professionals.

Spotting AI-generated fake news requires looking closely for errors and inconsistencies. For news stories, check the original source. For images, enlarge them to check for flaws, examine the background, and look for perfect or smooth details that seem unrealistic. For video, watch for low resolution, misaligned subtitles, and lip shapes that don't match the audio.

Being aware of the most widespread AI fakes also helps identify new ones faster. Some examples are a fake photo of Pope Francis in a puffy coat that got 20 million views and fake images of Donald Trump's arrest that spread widely on Twitter. It took over 2 weeks to debunk a deceptive AI video of Bill Gates.

As AI technology improves, identifying fake news and images will only get harder. Staying vigilant by analyzing sources and watching for AI flaws is key to avoiding manipulation. With more awareness and scrutiny, we can stem the tide of increasingly realistic fake content.

Hot Take:

Be skeptical of anything that seems too amazing to be true online. We're entering an era where AI can fabricate compelling but totally fictional text, images, and video. Spotting the fakes will require a sharp eye along with a healthy dose of cynicism. If you encounter an unbelievable news story or photo, don't share it until you've thoroughly investigated. We all have a responsibility to stop the viral spread of AI misinformation and manipulation.