Deepfakes and synthetic materials (artificially generated materials that resemble reality or real people) are becoming increasingly prevalent on social media and are sometimes incorporated into mainstream news flows.
This week, a provocative video went viral on social media featuring former health ombuds professor Malegapuru Makgoba who claims to have discovered a cure for diabetes. That’s really cool — I wish it were true.
This video has been altered by artificial intelligence (AI), and although genuine and reliable videos featuring Makkova exist, he has never spoken about diabetes in any interview, much less claimed that he has discovered a cure for the disease. Needless to say in an interview where he made the claim.
Deepfakes and synthetic materials (artificially generated materials that resemble reality or real people) are becoming increasingly prevalent on social media and are sometimes incorporated into mainstream news flows.
Fake news is increasingly shaping the way public debates about politics, elections, and various social and health issues are shaped.
Conspiracy theories and even incitement to violence are being passed off as news and truth. Benefits can be purely commercial to drive traction and audience to a particular platform, or they can be to rally support for a political party or cause.
Either way, it is cynical, and truth and democratic deliberation for peace and prosperity always comes at a heavy price. In short, no matter how we label it, fake news threatens the very foundations on which modern democracies are founded and sustained.
Of course, none of this is the fault of “AI.” This is because we have given algorithms a way to control processes and data collection and its dissemination. But generative AI takes control of programming out of our hands, as it focuses on the ability to learn, innovate, create and synthesize, rather than analysis and prediction.
AI is fundamentally changing society, the way we interact with each other and understand ourselves, the formation of nations, and our own role and place in society.
The relationship between media and democracy has often been questioned, especially given the challenges faced by traditional media. Traditional media have long been considered the main conduits of information between citizens, governments and governing parties in society, and the so-called public sphere is often considered the main pillar and forum for democratic deliberation. It was being done.
The question is: What information flows keep modern democratic debate and deliberation alive, and what is the role of new media, social media platforms, and AI in shaping democracy? And what happens when journalists, as news carriers and intermediaries, and as expert and authoritarian voices, are discredited or even erased?
The lack of transparency in AI systems raises major concerns about bias and errors creeping into news stories without deepfakes or the intentional spread of disinformation. Fact-checking remains important, and generative AI is no different than any other source of information, human or otherwise, in that it can be misleading.
AI algorithms that generate fake news and even spread messages that incite hatred and violence have been driven by social media platforms seeking to build audiences based on attention-grabbing “news” feeds. Therefore, the old adage “bad news sells” still holds sway.
Additionally, while AI is seen as a tool that enables journalists to conduct investigations more efficiently, it may be offset by additional demands on journalists in resource-starved environments where monitoring and fact-checking of AI-generated data is reduced. may be.
Additionally, training journalists to use new technologies, especially generative AI, requires significant investment. Because as creative and adaptable as we are as a species, the speed of development is outpacing us and outpacing our ability to understand and foresee what will happen. .
In conclusion, for journalism, the potential of AI to improve the efficiency of news organizations is extremely important, but may not be all that is thought yet. AI can definitely help compile research, especially regarding big data analysis.
In news business models, AI can support efficiency and productivity, and dynamic paywalls are essential for financial sustainability.
What is needed is for news organizations to lead the development and partner with technology companies that provide both AI platforms and tools to detect AI-generated content.
A broader societal conversation is also needed about fake news and our responsibility as citizens to prevent the spread of false news and misinformation.
Media literacy is needed now more than ever, and understanding how to use social media responsibly needs to be part of the curriculum from primary school to university. And we need to act quickly.
If left unchecked, generative AI has the potential to significantly disrupt the way we give and receive information as a society and the way we communicate as individuals, communities, nations, and a global community of sentient beings. There is a gender.
We need to ensure that communication happens between ourselves and not algorithmic agents. Algorithms are tools, and just tools. It is up to us to find ways to leverage the good and regulate the bad for free, open, and meaningful democratic deliberation.
Ylva Rodney Gumede is Head of Global Engagement and Professor in the School of Communication at the University of Johannesburg.
