AI Safety & Deepfakes

Deepfakes. I still do not think most people understand the impact this will have on coming generations. From creation to self-identity; it will affect every aspect of the "coming-of-age" novella stereotype.

Take a couple of mediums, such as video, photos and even audio. Video and photos are the same, since a video is simply multiple photos (frames) stitched together. Audio can be seen in waves that may or may not have patterns as they approach a peak prior to the surf. A weak effort at a metaphor, but I hope you get the gist of it.

When an artist takes a photo, they either have a gut feeling or are prioritizing a complex matrix of compositions. Either way, it's a one-of-a-kind shot. Millions of those melted together may look like a bridge, but will never be the same. My hunch is to create a system where those authentic creations stay within a secure environment and are invisibly watermarked (LaMarque). Any contributions outside of this space will forever be treated as generations and a reduction of value will be administered. And along with a reduction of value, the bad actors can be devalued.

Same goes with audio.

I do feel Meta is doing lots of great work in reverse engineering AI generations to detect and label them appropriately. At least, more so than other players in this game. But the one lingering thought I have is whether this should happen at the hardware level or the software level. I am leaning towards both. Every recording device of any kind should incorporate a new codec that can interlace invisible watermarks.

This only solves for what's real. But I'd still want to figure out who generated it.

Open source is very important to me. It helps me learn, adapt, and advance. If it has that effect on me, I will always work to help others experience the same. When it comes to the other side, keeping your thoughts local is up to you, but the publication or sharing of generated media needs systems that can track it. This is where I feel blockchain could return: uploading infrastructure of any kind would keep transparent histories, available to the public, for any domain.

It's a huge overhaul of the internet, but one that could feel safer to me. Keep your mind local and let your sharing be trackable.

And yes, I view a blockchain address as a designated upload source, maybe a new form of social security number tied to a new kind of ISP contract. It may remove the "sense of anonymity" that gave rise to the technology. But it does more than that now. It shows a track record or a social capital without revealing the legal name/identity. Don't like your social direction? Move and rehabilitate.

Don't worry, I still love VPNs and Tor. But there's a line to draw: that address should still be shared with all middleware.

P.S.

When I say 'I still love VPNs and Tor', it's not because they are meant or used for hiding; it's because they were designed to protect identities. Intention matters.