The United States government was recently found to be looking for ways to fight misinformation and propaganda online and it is by using deepfakes videos, as per a new report. It will be under the US Special Forces' SOCOM, which seems that would resort to "fighting fire with fire," while also hacking into foreign devices to listen to enemy chatter.
Deepfakes were previously fought by the US government as its targeted misinformation campaign grew massive in the past years and months, but now, reports are claiming that they will utilize this AI power.
US to Use Deepfakes Online to Spread Propaganda, Campaigns
(Photo : BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
A report from The Intercept details a recent discovery they had on government contract files which center on utilizing deepfake videos and media to spread propaganda and campaigns. It will be a new age of defense, information, and warfare should this plan head forward, centering on the extensive dive toward utilizing the internet's power.
As per federal contracting files discovered by The Intercept, the government detailed ways on how they will utilize deepfakes in creating new propaganda materials and bringing campaigns to life.
The government would also resort to foreign surveillance and hacking into "internet-connected devices" to learn more about the susceptibility to propaganda from enemy states.
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US Special Forces' SOCOM for Deepfakes
The report also claims who will focus on this campaign, and they would be under the United States Special Forces, under the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) team.
They would also source third-party technology that is capable to build the tech needed to generate deepfakes.
Experts and people familiar with the matter are already against these plans of the US government to use this persuading tech to push for its propaganda and campaigns.
Deepfakes and their Massive Problem
The world is only opening up its online usage with AI, particularly with the emergence and prominence of new language models, along with its other forms that bring new tools for the public like ChatGPT. However, there is one other form of AI that it disapproves of, and it is the deepfake campaign present on the internet.
Many are affected by the rise of Deepfakes on the internet, including individuals and businesses who usually get these kinds of media that convince them about the campaigns it pushes, but is unknown to them that it is an attack.
There are different takes on Deepfake, and not all are against this technology to use for their needs. One example would be Samsung which would be utilizing this to create its "MegaPortrait" to help replicate images for the public.
It is certainly a massive problem for some, but this mixed perception centers on using it to their advantage, with the power of AI capable of shaping society or the online community. This is the power that the United States allegedly aims to utilize, to soon use for their propaganda and campaigns, one that could potentially reshape its nation.
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