| "Voice Clone Technology Makes Deepfakes Easier and More Affordable" Deepfakes, computer-generated videos that digitally manipulate real videos, are becoming easier and more affordable to produce with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The New York Times recently reported on the latest advancements in technologies that use AI to create "voice clone" deepfakes of people doing or saying things they never said or did. The voice clone technology works by taking a short amount of audio from a person, and then using AI to generate a digital clone of that person's voice. This digital clone can then be used to synthesize new audio clips that sound like the person in the audio clip. The system is even advanced enough to be able to pick up on subtleties of intonation and pronunciation, making it sound almost indistinguishable from the real thing. The implications of this technology are far-reaching and have the potential to cause significant harm, regardless of its intended purpose. For example, a malicious actor could use the voice clone technology to create deepfakes of someone saying something they never said or did, and then use those deepfakes to smear the person's reputation or manipulate public opinion. In order to combat the misuse of these technologies, it is important to increase public awareness of the dangers posed by deepfakes generated with AI-based voice cloning technology. Companies like Google, Microsoft and IBM are already working on systems to detect deepfakes, and it is hoped that with more research and development, these tools will become increasingly effective in thwarting potential malicious use of deepfakes. |