Sean's Blog

Digital Uncertainty

October 21, 2024
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We are entering the age of digital uncertainty. An age where any digital artifact can not be deemed to be real (grounded in reality like a photography) anymore.

Any attempt to build AI generated content (deep fake) detection systems is flawed, since the outputs of such a system may be used to train an even better fake data generator. This leads to an equilibrium state of digital uncertainty: nothing in the digital realm can be deemed as real anymore - only as digital.

Snake-Oil Services

Following services claim to detect AI generated content but their goal is impossible: the output signal they provide can just be used to train a better AI until we reach the equilibrium state (human vs AI made).

Text AI Detection:

Image AI Detection:

Conclusion

Only things we perceive in the real world ourselves, can we be sure to not be faked (for now...).

Will this create a new flood of skeptics and critical thinkers that are harder to manipulate with digital media? I doubt it. It is more likely that people will shift more to verified content creators they put their trust in. Which in turn allows these content creators to effortlessly spin any narrative they want using digital content (that they can arbitrarily design).

#AI #idea