Seeing Is No Longer Believing – Is Generative AI Destroying The Internet?

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As Generative AI becomes more sophisticated, which is happening at top speed, it is important to ask: is Generative AI undermining the very foundation of the internet?

Generative-based AI systems can create pretty much anything you prompt them to. And they don’t just mimic- they create based on patterns they’ve learned.

Examples include DALL·E which generates highly detailed and imaginative images from textual descriptions, DeepFake technology which can synthesize human likenesses and voices, Amper Music which can generate musical compositions in various genres and styles, or Jukebox AI which simulates vocals in various styles.

Now, it is important to keep in mind that these science-fiction-like tools are only in their infancy, still becoming more and more refined, convincing, and indistinguishable from human-produced content. The line between machine and human-generated content is being blurred.

Furthermore, the same ease with which content can be created is the ease with which misinformation can be spread. Creating misleading content has become as easy as writing a prompt and clicking a button, and malicious actors can flood the internet with countless fake articles, photos, and videos.

Many experts claim there is an urgent need for an overarching digital verification infrastructure in an era where seeing is no longer believing.

We might soon find ourselves in a digital landscape where skepticism is the default, and the saying “don’t believe everything you read on the internet” would evolve into “trust nothing unless verified.” In such a world knowing the origin of a piece of information may be the only way to understand its validity.

According to Forbes, technological solutions like blockchain could play a crucial role in maintaining trust. A possible solution is having every genuine article or photo stamped with a blockchain-verified digital watermark that would serve as a guarantee of authenticity.

All this being said, the role of generative AI in our future is not only negative of course, it’s the unchecked proliferation and misuse we must protect ourselves from. We should bear in mind that all technological advancements bring certain challenges with them, and instead of panicking, we should simply be prepared.

Experts are calling to develop AI-driven verification tools, establish international regulatory standards that will hold creators of malicious AI content accountable, and promote digital literacy programs both in schools and for older generations.

This information was provided by Forbes.