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
    0•9 months ago

    I missed this recent type example. If you mean child pornography, again, pornography being illegal predates child pornography. I didn’t say child pornography existed in Ancient Rome. It didn’t. It’s a relatively new concept, mostly due to the invention of photography. There are virtually no examples that predate it.

    So your example was not a solid one as you claim.

    Also, I am “touchy” about words being put in my mouth because I don’t like people lying about what I say. Maybe you’re okay with libel, but I am not.

    • @magnusrufus
      1•9 months ago

      No I don’t mean cp. I mean revenge porn, like I’ve mentioned multiple times. Are you reading what you are disagreeing with?

      “So your example was not a solid one as you claim.” If you’re going to act haughty you ought to at least be right.

      • Flying Squid
        1•9 months ago

        When was revenge porn legal in the first place? Do you mean pretty much immediately before it was identified, named and codified? So like two years?

        • @magnusrufus
          0•9 months ago

          You think that Polaroids that were supposed to stay private were not shared? Thanks for finally reading the posts btw. Also what does pretending that revenge porn only existed for two years get you in this case? Taking it as true, it shows that a rapid response to recently emergent social issue can occur and that laws can be enacted to outlaw the offensive but previously legal porn. It makes my point even more applicable.