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A Nixon Deepfake, a 'Moon Disaster' Speech and an Information Ecosystem at Risk
What can former U.S. president Richard Nixon possibly teach us about artificial intelligence today and the future of misinformation online? Nothing. The real Nixon died 26 years ago.
But an AI-generated likeness of him shines new light on a quickly evolving technology with sizable implications, both creative and destructive, for our current digital information ecosystem. Starting in 2019, media artists Francesca Panetta and Halsey Burgund at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology teamed up with two AI companies, Canny AI and Respeecher, to create a posthumous deepfake. The synthetic video shows Nixon giving a speech he never intended to deliver—half a century after the subject it addresses.
Here's the (real) backstory: In July 1969, as the Apollo 11 astronauts glided through space on their trajectory toward the moon, William Safire, then one of Nixon's speechwriters, wrote "In Event of Moon Disaster" as a contingency. The speech is a beautiful homage to Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the two astronauts who descended to the lunar surface—never to return in this version of history. It ends by saying, "For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind."
The full deepfake speech can be viewed at https://moondisaster.org.
(Score: 2) by AssCork on Tuesday July 21 2020, @05:38PM (3 children)
Kronk has entered the chat
https://images.app.goo.gl/kPt7J4ujK4xcm4Ce7 [app.goo.gl]
Just popped-out of a tight spot. Came out mostly clean, too.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday July 21 2020, @07:06PM
I suppose I could have called it:
A Tail Of Two Echo Chambers
Release two deep fakes, one targeted at each echo chamber.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 21 2020, @09:24PM (1 child)
Artificial Stupidity is more difficult than Artificial Intelligence.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday July 22 2020, @01:33PM
I understand the drive to invent machines to do things that are difficult, unpleasant or dangerous for humans to do.
But why, oh why, have Artificial Stupidity when the real thing is readily available in such abundant supply. Just go to Facebook or Twitter.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.