Growing concerns about Deepfakes

By Aabigayle McIntosh

The proliferation of AI tools is raising concerns about the use of deepfakes to destroy reputations, undermine democratic elections and damage trust in genuine online sources of verified information.

Authorities around the world are now exploring creative ways to address the issue and Antigua and Barbuda is no different.

Deepfakes are synthetic media that have been digitally manipulated to replace one person’s likeness convincingly with that of another. It can also refer to computer-generated images of human subjects that do not exist in real life.

The issue was discussed at a recent meeting of the Regional Securities Systems (RSS), Antigua and Barbuda’s Chief of Defense Staff Colonel Telbert Benjamin was among the attendees, along with Police Commissioner Atlee Rodney.

“We have seen it in recent times where the technology has been manipulated and images and voices are being utilized in a manner that is not reflective or is not a true reflection of the individuals that are being utilized. This has potential risks of harming not only individuals but potentially countries,” Colonel Benjamin said.

He said there needs to be regulation to deal with these and other emerging issues.

“There is a slow uptake in terms of regulating much of what happens in the technological sphere. A very limited uptake in terms of internet, a very limited uptake in terms of cyber security, a very limited uptake in terms of AI to date. Though it is a current thing, it is an old thing that is here and we are now seeing how intrusive it can be and I dare say there is much more to come,” the ABDF chief added.

According to Colonel Benjamin action is being taken and information from the RSS meeting will be passed on to government officials.

“As the Caribbean braces for the impact of deepfakes, the delicate balance between technological growth and security remains a top priority”.