An AI algorithm called VGGFace2 can accurately guess if you’re conservative or liberal with just a single pic. Smartphones in school? Teachers are pushing back with cell phone bans. Plus, Dawn from Atlanta thinks she’s being cyberstalked, and I help her look for clues.
Attack ads go (deep)fake
Way back in 1934, writer Upton Sinclair swept the Democratic primary for California’s gubernatorial election. One of his opponents needed something big to beat him. What came out of that was one of the dirtiest campaigns in history — and the first on-screen attack ad.
Hollywood directors created short “news” segments that aired before movies featuring residents and so-called experts. Yeah, all the content was fake.
Almost a century later, deepfakes are fooling voters into believing things that never happened or at least went down differently. The latest example: Ron DeSantis’ attack ad against Donald Trump.
Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. What are “deepfakes?”
Special computer programs can make videos or pictures look like they show someone saying or doing something, but it’s not real. It can make someone’s face look like it’s on another person’s body or make them say things they never really said.
These computer programs can make it seem like someone famous, like a celebrity or a politician, is doing or saying things they didn’t actually do or say. These are called deepfakes.
First, a word between us
This next presidential campaign will have a lot of tech you need to know about. Don’t even think about dropping me a line saying, “Oh Kim, you’re only reporting this cause you hate Trump” or “You’re such a Trump lover.”
I’m telling you about this ad because the campaigning for anyone running is about to get worse. Put your politics aside so I can tell you what’s happening with AI and deepfakes. Got it? This is not politics. It’s being tech aware and intelligent.
Here’s what you need to know
This week, the “DeSantis War Room” account on Twitter shared a video with lots of examples of Trump’s support of Anthony Fauci — you know, former White House chief medical advisor.
Weaved in with the authentic clips of Trump and Fauci are six images of the two together. Now, half of those images are fake and AI-generated. It never happened. But the video sure looks like it did.
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Families across the world are figuring out how to spend the holidays together amid the pandemic safely. A Consumer Reports poll showed just 36% of Americans surveyed planned to host or attend a get-together outside their household.
🗞️ We’re in trouble: Nearly 40% of Gen Zers get their news from social media influencers. X is the go-to news source, with Instagram close behind. Male influencers outnumber women 2-to-1, and news influencers lean a bit more right than left (27% to 21%). Wonder how long it’ll take for TikTokkers to be moderating debates.
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What a decade this year has been! Between global pandemics, social unrest and the confirmation that UFOs are real, many of us are starting to get whiplash already. But there are still surprises in store for 2020 — especially as election season draws near.
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You can live next to people for years and never get to know them. Who are they? What are they doing, just beyond that picket fence? They may look normal enough, but are your children safe around them? Do they have a malevolent past?
Deepfake scams: Billionaire Warren Buffett wants everyone to know he’s not endorsing any investment products or political candidates. Remember, whenever a celebrity or high-profile figure promotes something, always check their official social media accounts to confirm it’s legit.
Meta’s hiding political posts: A woman who usually pulls in millions of views on Instagram saw her audience drop 63% after using the word “vote” in 11 posts. One in five American adults gets their news from Instagram, but Meta still directs its algorithm away from content related to laws, elections, crimes or anything else controversial (paywall link). Yup, it’s happening on Facebook, too.
Mixed signals: The Biden administration is pushing a bill that could kick TikTok out of the U.S. Politics aside, this move doesn’t make sense — President Biden just joined TikTok for his re-election campaign.
First presidential false AI-generated attack ads appear
Is this just the start for deepfakes in politics? Here’s my take, in 60 seconds.
Most-shared fake health stories of 2019: Cancer, 'cures' and vaccines
Fake news has been making headlines recently. It started a few years ago, before the 2016 presidential election, and is still going strong — especially on social media.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon isn’t contained to just politics. Tap or click here to see the top 10 fake news articles on Facebook in 2019. The scourge of fake news has even reached the medical field.