Salman Rushdie on AI’s Influence in Literature
Salman Rushdie posits that artificial intelligence may not pose a significant threat to authors until tools like ChatGPT can produce “a funny book.” His optimism regarding human creativity prevailing over synthetic counterparts may hold merit within literary circles. However, in visual media—including film, art, and satire—AI has already begun to incite laughter.
Deepfakes—synthetic audio and visuals portraying individuals in contexts they never experienced—emerge as key humorous disruptors. They represent a collection of increasingly convincing AI instruments shaping a post-truth landscape envisaged by Microsoft engineer Eric Horvitz, where the lines between fact and fiction blur.
Within a mere eight years, deepfakes have transitioned from a fringe phenomenon to a popular meme, illustrating futurist Roy Amara’s Law: society tends to overestimate the immediate effects of new technologies while underappreciating their long-term repercussions.
With experts forecasting that up to 90% of online content may be AI-generated by 2027, a pressing question arises regarding the extent to which these artificial replicas will alter our trust in and interaction with depictions of real individuals.
When deepfakes first surfaced in 2017 as nonconsensual pornography primarily linked to incel communities, the alarm they raised was indeed warranted. However, as these technologies began to be weaponized for political purposes, initial concerns spiraled into widespread panic.
Philosophers have classified deepfakes as an “epistemic threat” to evidence-based systems; corporations have invested heavily in detection initiatives, often without success.
The specter of an “info-apocalypse” looms, where a credible deepfake of a global leader could trigger catastrophic geopolitical ramifications.
More subtly, the realization of deepfakes alone may lead to an **erosion of civic trust**. In 2018, Jordan Peele crafted a prophetic deepfake of Barack Obama, imploring viewers to depend on trustworthy news sources to avoid descending into a “dystopian nightmare
The South Park production Sassy Justice presents Trump as a heroic journalist, while the Polish biopic Putin delivers a candid portrayal of its namesake through AI technology.
Moreover, the documentary Welcome to Chechnya employs deepfake masks to protect its vulnerable LGBTQ+ subjects, whereas A Life Uncharted features audio from deceased Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson for a deepfake interview
While the potential of deepfakes poses myriad risks, including cybercrime, corporate deception, image abuse, and political misinformation, it is imperative that regulatory measures emerge without stifling creativity and innovation.
This perspective resonates with filmmakers and tech giants alike. Recently, xAI revealed its Grok AI tool, which inspired German satirists to create a deepfake of Elon Musk engaging in fictional armed robbery—thankful for his endorsement of free speech.
Dr. Anna Broinowski, a filmmaker, author, and synthetic media scholar at the University of Sydney, is slated to discuss AI on a panel at the upcoming Curious festival, set for Sunday, September 28, at the Sydney Opera House.
Source link: Theguardian.com.
