‘Deepfakes’ Trigger a Race to Fight Manipulated Photos and Videos

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Perhaps a writing prompt.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Startup companies, government agencies and academics are racing to combat so-called deepfakes, amid fears that doctored videos and photographs will be used to sow discord ahead of next year’s U.S. presidential election.

It is a difficult problem to solve because the technology needed to manipulate images is advancing rapidly and getting easier to use, according to experts. And the threat is spreading, as smartphones have made cameras ubiquitous and social media has turned individuals into broadcasters, leaving companies that run those platforms unsure how to handle the issue.

“While synthetically generated videos are still easily detectable by most humans, that window is closing rapidly. I’d predict we see visually undetectable deepfakes in less than 12 months,” said Jeffrey McGregor, chief executive officer of Truepic, a San Diego-based startup that is developing image-verification technology. “Society is going to start distrusting every piece of content they see.”

Truepic is working with Qualcomm Inc. —the biggest supplier of chips for mobile phones—to add its technology to the hardware of cellphones. The technology would automatically mark photos and videos when they are taken with data such as time and location, so that they can be verified later. Truepic also offers a free app consumers can use to take verified pictures on their smartphones.

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When a photo or video is taken, Serelay can capture data such as where the camera was in relation to cellphone towers or GPS satellites. The company says it has partnerships with insurance companies that use the technology to help verify damage claims, though it declined to name the firms.

The U.S. Defense Department, meanwhile, is researching forensic technology that can be used to detect whether a photo or video was manipulated after it was made.

Link to the rest at The Wall Street Journal (Sorry if you encounter a paywall)