Detecting political deepfakes with AI | The Prompt x Microsoft's Chief Questions Officer Trevor Noah

Summary

In this insightful conversation, Trevor Noah interviews Oren Etzioni, founder of TrueMedia.org, discussing the challenges of identifying deepfakes in an era where social media is a primary news source. Etzioni's team is developing AI tools to detect manipulated content, crucial for preserving election integrity. The interview highlights the difficulty of distinguishing real from fake, the importance of media literacy, and the role of verification platforms like TrueMedia.org in ensuring the authenticity of information shared online.

Takeaways

• 📢 Trevor Noah introduces Oren Etzioni, the founder of TrueMedia.org, focusing on the use of AI to detect deepfakes in media.
• 📈 Over half of the U.S. adult population gets news from social media, highlighting the importance of verifying media content.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The challenge of identifying deepfakes has evolved; they are no longer easily distinguishable with simple visual cues.
• 🎯 Microsoft's quiz demonstrates the difficulty in distinguishing real from artificial images, even for those aware of the issue.
• 🤖 TrueMedia.org uses AI to combat deepfakes, aiming to provide a tool to help identify manipulated content.
• 🔍 Users can submit files or URLs to TrueMedia.org for analysis to determine if the content is a deepfake.
• 💯 TrueMedia.org boasts over 90% accuracy in detecting deepfakes, but acknowledges the potential for error in the remaining 10%.
• 🧐 The script emphasizes the role of media literacy and skepticism in evaluating the authenticity of media content.
• 🗳️ The upcoming 2024 elections are a significant concern due to the potential impact of deepfakes on their legitimacy.
• 🌐 Deepfakes have been a part of recent elections worldwide, indicating a growing trend and the need for vigilance.
• 🚨 Oren Etzioni expresses concern about the upcoming elections, fearing that despite efforts, deepfakes could still disrupt the process.

Q & A

Who is Oren Etzioni and what is his current project?

Oren Etzioni is the founder of TrueMedia.org. He and his team are working on using AI to develop tools that help people understand when they are looking at a deepfake, particularly in the context of news on social media.

What is the significance of the conversation between Trevor Noah and Oren Etzioni?

The conversation is significant as it discusses the role of AI in identifying deepfakes, which are becoming a major concern in the context of maintaining the legitimacy of elections, especially with the prevalence of news consumption from social media.

How prevalent is the consumption of news from social media in the United States?

Over half of the adult population in the United States currently gets their news from social media, making it a crucial platform for information dissemination and a target for deepfake creators.

What is a deepfake and why is it a concern in the context of elections?

A deepfake is a manipulated video or audio recording that is difficult to distinguish from genuine content. It is a concern in elections because it can be used to spread misinformation and influence public opinion, potentially undermining the legitimacy of the electoral process.

What is the purpose of the quiz created by Microsoft mentioned in the script?

The Microsoft quiz is designed to test people's ability to distinguish between real and artificial images, highlighting the difficulty in identifying deepfakes and the need for tools to assist in such identification.

What is the accuracy rate of the AI tools developed by Oren Etzioni's team for detecting deepfakes?

The AI tools developed by Oren Etzioni's team are achieving over 90% accuracy in detecting deepfakes, but there is still a 10% chance of error, which underscores the importance of continued improvement and caution.

What is TrueMedia.org and how does it function?

TrueMedia.org is a website that identifies political deepfakes, particularly focused on social media. Users can upload files or enter URLs to check the authenticity of content, serving as a tool to combat the spread of manipulated media.

What is the role of education and media literacy in the context of deepfake detection?

Education and media literacy are crucial in helping people to question the authenticity of the content they encounter online. It encourages individuals to verify information through tools like TrueMedia.org or by checking the source before sharing or believing in what they see.

What challenges does Oren Etzioni face in getting people to use the deepfake detection tool?

One of the main challenges is overcoming confirmation bias, where people are more likely to believe information that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs. The team can only offer the technical tool, and it is up to individuals to choose to use it.

How has the presence of deepfakes impacted recent elections according to the script?

According to the script, every election that has taken place in the year mentioned has been affected by a plethora of deepfakes, indicating that this issue has become a common part of the election process backdrop.

What is Oren Etzioni's emotional state regarding the upcoming elections in 2024?

Oren Etzioni expresses a sense of terror regarding the upcoming elections in 2024. Despite their best efforts, he is concerned about the potential impact of deepfakes and the readiness to face any new challenges that may arise.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 AI in Combating Deepfakes

Trevor Noah introduces the topic of deepfakes and their impact on the legitimacy of elections, highlighting the work of Oren Etzioni and TrueMedia.org in developing AI tools to help people identify deepfakes. The script discusses the prevalence of news consumption from social media and the challenges in discerning real from fake content. A quiz created by Microsoft is used to illustrate the difficulty of identifying deepfakes, emphasizing the need for technological assistance in this endeavor.

Keywords

💡Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, writer, and television host, best known for hosting 'The Daily Show' on Comedy Central. In the context of the video, he is the host of 'The Prompt', where he engages in a conversation with Oren Etzioni about the challenges of deepfakes in the digital age, particularly in relation to the upcoming elections.

💡Oren Etzioni

Oren Etzioni is the founder of TrueMedia.org, an organization focused on combating misinformation through the use of AI. In the video, he is a guest on 'The Prompt', discussing the role of AI in identifying deepfakes and the importance of media literacy in the digital era.

💡Deepfake

A deepfake refers to a synthetic media in which a person's likeness is swapped with another using AI and machine learning techniques. The video discusses the increasing prevalence of deepfakes and the challenges they pose to the authenticity and legitimacy of news and information, especially during elections.

💡Social Media

Social media platforms are online spaces where users can create and share content or participate in social networking. The script mentions that over half of the adult population in the United States gets their news from social media, highlighting the significant role these platforms play in disseminating information, including deepfakes.

💡AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the video, AI is used both to create deepfakes and to develop tools for detecting them, illustrating the dual-use nature of this technology.

💡TrueMedia.org

TrueMedia.org is a website mentioned in the script that aims to identify political deepfakes, particularly on social media. It represents the efforts to use technology to combat misinformation and is a key example of the video's theme of using AI for good in the face of digital deception.

💡Elections

Elections are formal decisions made by voters about who will hold public office. The video script discusses the impact of deepfakes on the legitimacy of elections, especially with the upcoming 2024 elections, emphasizing the urgency and importance of addressing the issue of misinformation.

💡Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. In the script, it is mentioned as an obstacle in getting people to use tools like TrueMedia.org, as people may be inclined to believe information that aligns with their views, regardless of its authenticity.

💡Media Literacy

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms. The video emphasizes the importance of media literacy in helping individuals discern between real and fake content, especially in the context of deepfakes and the spread of misinformation.

💡Legitimacy

Legitimacy refers to the recognition of an authority or a system as being in accordance with the law or with rights. The script discusses the potential for deepfakes to undermine the legitimacy of elections by spreading false information and manipulating public perception.

💡Microsoft Quiz

The Microsoft Quiz mentioned in the script is an interactive tool designed to test users' ability to distinguish between real and artificial images. It serves as a practical example in the video to illustrate the difficulty of identifying deepfakes and the need for technological assistance in doing so.

Highlights

Trevor Noah introduces Oren Etzioni, founder of TrueMedia.org, and discusses the use of AI to combat deepfakes in social media news.

Over half of the US adult population gets their news from social media, making the issue of deepfakes particularly relevant.

The importance of using technology to maintain the legitimacy of elections is highlighted.

Oren Etzioni expresses concern about the upcoming 2024 elections and the potential spread of deepfakes.

The challenge of detecting deepfakes is discussed, with the acknowledgment that they are no longer easily identifiable.

A Microsoft quiz is mentioned as a tool to test the ability to distinguish between real and artificial images.

Trevor Noah's experience with the quiz underscores the difficulty of identifying deepfakes.

TrueMedia.org is introduced as a platform for identifying political deepfakes, especially on social media.

The website allows users to upload files or enter URLs to check the authenticity of media content.

The concept of 'substantial evidence of manipulation' is explained, indicating a nuanced approach to verifying media.

The use of AI for detection is discussed, with a current accuracy rate of over 90%.

The challenge of confirmation bias and its impact on the willingness to use verification tools is addressed.

The importance of education and media literacy in combating the spread of deepfakes is emphasized.

The conversation shifts to the broader implications of deepfakes in recent elections around the world.

Oren Etzioni shares his trepidation about the potential impact of deepfakes on the upcoming elections.

The interview concludes with a call to action for increased awareness and preparedness against deepfakes.

Transcripts

Hey everybody, Trevor Noah here

and I'm coming to you

from Seattle, Washington, where today,

I'm going to be having a conversation

with Oren Etzioni.

He is the founder of TrueMedia.org.

Now, you may or may not know this,

but in the United States,

over half of the adult population

currently gets their news

from social media.

And so Oren and his team

are working on using AI to develop tools

that will better help people

to understand

when they are or aren’t

looking at a deepfake.

Because really, the big question

that's on everyone's mind is

how can we use this technology

to better prevent elections

from losing their legitimacy?

You can't find answers

without asking the right questions.

This is The Prompt with me, Trevor Noah.

Trevor, good to see you.

Please, come in, have a seat.

Thank you very much.

It’s a pleasure to meet you,

how are you?

I'm good.

But I have to say, I am worried.

It's 2024,

people are going to the polls

all over the world,

but especially in November,

and we've got a problem.

I mean, where do you,

where do you start

when you're looking at this?

What are the tools you're using,

and how do you even begin to think

about how you aim

your team and your technology?

The first place to start

is for people to understand

that they cannot

figure this out on their own.

It used to be that these fakes

would have like six fingers,

if you just squint at them

you could tell.

No longer the case.

If I may?

Yeah, of course.

So what I’m about to show you here

is a quiz

created by Microsoft.

It shows you an image,

and you have to decide,

real or artificial.

Not to put you on the spot.

Oh, here we go.

We know that most people

have a very hard time with this.

Maybe take a couple rounds.

I'm going to say that's artificial.

Good job.

Okay.

Oh, this is an interesting one.

This man is very stylish.

The sign looks good.

Are the shadows in the right place?

Maybe not, I’ll say fake.

That was real.

Look at this,

I don't know the world anymore.

Your score at this point...

Is one.

My score is one?

Out of six. Yeah.

This is fascinating.

But it's so tricky,

that's, that's the thing.

This is not about you

as much as everybody is...

That's not real?

This is wild.

Wow.

Here's our website,

TrueMedia.org.

We identify political deepfakes

particularly focused on social media.

And you can upload a file

like a video or an image,

or you can type in a URL

of something that appeared on Twitter,

YouTube, TikTok, what have you.

But the point is, this is just a tool

when you're not sure

which, hopefully you're not anymore.

I'm definitely not sure anymore.

I don't even know if some of the photos

in my own album are real now.

But, but help me, okay,

let's talk through some of these,

some of these details.

So, “substantial evidence of manipulation.”

It's interesting that you don't just say real or fake.

What does that mean?

You keyed on to a really important fact.

We're using good AI to fight bad AI,

that's for sure.

The good news for us

is that the problem of detection,

which is what we're doing,

we're trying to catch the fake ones,

is easier than the problem of generation.

We are very proud

to be getting over 90% accuracy,

however, that means

that 10% of the time we are wrong.

So when you're looking at a post,

half of the time

people want to believe

what they've seen, or heard, or watched.

What are some of the obstacles

you find you're facing

in getting people

to even want to use the tool?

Everybody is subject

to confirmation bias.

All we can do is offer people

a technical tool

that they may choose to use.

Education and media literacy,

people asking themselves,

“wait a minute,

am I sure this is

from a bona fide source?

Or is it just

something just appears across my screen

on the internet?”

It's all about getting people

to avoid that reflex action:

Oh my God,

let me forward it to

all my friends.

Yeah, so it's no longer “believe what you see.”

It's “believe what you put through

TrueMedia.org?”

It's believe what’s been verified.

Either truemedia.org, or through

knowing exactly what the source is.

But yeah, you can no longer

believe what you see, unfortunately.

You’re in for a ride,

2024 is going to be

one of the most consequential elections.

Are you excited

at this moment in time,

or do you approach it with like,

a certain level of trepidation?

Frankly, I'm terrified.

And the reason that I'm terrified

is despite our best efforts,

the potential is there.

What we do know

is that every single election

that we’ve had this year

has had a plethora of deepfakes.

The election in Indonesia

in India, in Pakistan.

This has just become part of the backdrop

to an election process.

What is somebody going to drop

and are we ready for it?

I just want to do everything I can

so that we're ready and do our best.

Well, you know, as they say with most things,

“awareness is half of the battle.”

So thank you very much, Oren.

Thank you, really appreciate it.

I need to do that test again.

I'm going to ace it this time.

I figured it out now,

I figured out what it was.