> They can still have an effect on society for sure, but I believe the concern is out of proportion with the effect.
I believe the contrary: that high-quality, convincing audio (and video) deepfakes will be cataclysmic for society. Voice audio is one of the last digital artifacts that people will believe with their senses.
When Donald Trump’s “grab them by the p—“ audioclip came out, he was at least forced to acknowledge it.
Once high-quality audio deepfake tools become available, amateurs will be able to flood the web with fake audioclips of politicians saying things they never did, and truly unscrupulous politicians will be given technological cover for any damning audioclips of theirs that get leaked.
Once we cannot trust our senses, then we will be only able to trust our institutions and then our tribes. But trust in institutions is already decaying rapidly, so in the end there only ideological tribes will be left.
I believe the contrary: that high-quality, convincing audio (and video) deepfakes will be cataclysmic for society. Voice audio is one of the last digital artifacts that people will believe with their senses.
When Donald Trump’s “grab them by the p—“ audioclip came out, he was at least forced to acknowledge it.
Once high-quality audio deepfake tools become available, amateurs will be able to flood the web with fake audioclips of politicians saying things they never did, and truly unscrupulous politicians will be given technological cover for any damning audioclips of theirs that get leaked.
Once we cannot trust our senses, then we will be only able to trust our institutions and then our tribes. But trust in institutions is already decaying rapidly, so in the end there only ideological tribes will be left.