Northwestern researchers examine potential harm to democracy
Will the temptation of deepfakes become too much for democratic governments to resist? If deepfakes are being considered, what questions should governments be asking, and who in government should be asking them?
Two professors at Northwestern University have outlined several hypothetical scenarios in which democratic governments might consider using deepfakes to further their foreign policy goals, and what this use could mean for democracies. He co-authored a new report examining the potential harms.
The report was released today (March 12) by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Co-authors are VS Subrahmanian, Walter P. Murphy, professor of computer science at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering, and fellow Buffett Institute of International Studies. Daniel W. Rinna Jr. is a senior lecturer and director of law and technology initiatives at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. They co-led the report with Daniel Byman, a senior researcher in the CSIS Transnational Threats Project.
> Listen: Professor Subramanian and Professor Rinna discuss the report on the podcast 'Lawfare'
Deepfakes, which are digitally altered videos, photos, or audio recordings, are typically used maliciously to spread disinformation and cause chaos. A well-known example is the fake video that surfaced in March 2022. The video shows a digitally altered version of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy instructing soldiers to lay down their weapons.
“As AI advances, deepfakes will go from primitive to highly realistic and increasingly difficult to identify,” the authors wrote in the report. “This proliferation of AI creates a unique opportunity for state actors to use deepfakes for national security purposes.”
Researchers speculate that the temptation of deepfakes will eventually become irresistible for democratic governments. “It won't be long before major democracies, including the United States, begin using deepfakes to achieve their goals, or at least consider using them if they don't already.” they said.
According to the authors, authorities should consider several factors when considering the use of deepfakes.
- the potential effectiveness of deepfakes;
- That audience,
- potential harm,
- legal implications;
- nature of the target,
- the purpose of deepfakes, and
- Traceability of deepfakes to democratic governments.
In general, the authors argue that deepfakes should not be used because they can undermine the credibility of democratic governments. However, there are rare cases when you should seriously consider using deepfakes. In such cases, the authors say governments should develop processes to approve or reject deepfakes and ensure that a variety of perspectives are represented.
