We Can’t Fix Political Deepfakes
| ShellyPalmerTHINK ABOUT THISMONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024Greetings from Fort Myers. I’m here (with almost everyone I’ve ever met in the advertising and media business) for the annual IAB leadership meeting. If you’re here, ping me.ElevenLabs, an AI startup specializing in voice replication technology, has banned a user account responsible for creating an audio deepfake of President Biden. The deepfake featured a message urging people not to vote in the New Hampshire primary.Pindrop Security Inc., a voice-fraud detection company, analyzed the deepfake and identified ElevenLabs’ technology as the source. Upon learning of Pindrop’s findings, ElevenLabs suspended the user’s account and began an investigation into the incident.The deepfake was sophisticated enough to initially convince some listeners, including a New Hampshire voter who recognized Biden’s voice but later realized it was a scam. As you can imagine, the incident has (once again) raised concerns about the potential misuse of AI in politics.ElevenLabs is the “go to” synthetic voiceover and voice cloning site. It recently raised an $80 million round led by Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the company at more than $1.1 billion.On its safety page, the company states: “A very important rule applies to all uses of voice cloning technology: you cannot clone a voice for abusive purposes such as fraud, discrimination, hate speech or for any form of online abuse without infringing the law.”This admonition is about as useful as telling a preschooler with a box of crayons not to draw on the furniture. That said, the company has stated its commitment to preventing the misuse of its audio AI tools and has been developing safeguards to curb such misuse.The problem with this story has nothing to do with technology; people will believe whatever they want to believe. When you offer facts that disprove a story someone is telling you, the most common response is, “Yes, but…” and they continue with an unchanged mind. There are no technological fixes for the willfully ignorant.As always your thoughts and comments are both welcome and encouraged. Just reply to this email. -sP.S. I’m going to sit down with John Halley, President – Advertising, Paramount, for an exclusive pre-Super Bowl fireside chat on Thursday, Feb. 8 in Las Vegas. To request an invitation, just reply to this email.Today’s Most Interesting Stories NSA finally admits to spying on Americans by purchasing sensitive dataThe National Security Agency (NSA) has admitted to buying records from data brokers detailing which websites and apps Americans use, US Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) revealed.Read More · Ars TechnicaShelly’s Blog: Auschwitz-Birkenau: The Technology of DeathWalking along the railroad tracks up to the main building at Birkenau was chilling. I was about to enter the largest of the 40 Nazi extermination camps and sub-camps that made up the Auschwitz complex, and its reputation preceded it.Read More · Shelly PalmerX blocks searches for Taylor SwiftX blocked searches for Taylor Swift after sexually explicit AI-generated images of the singer circulated on the social media platform, an executive said on Sunday.Read More · Axios Netflix is different now — and there’s no going backThe past two years have been a whirlwind of changes at Netflix — and it’s all to transform the company into a revenue-driving machine that outlives other streamers.Read More · The VergeAmazon Prime Video Ads Start TodayAd-free streaming services are officially a thing of the past. Amazon injected Prime Video’s movies and TV shows with ads on Monday.Read More · GizmodoMicrosoft tests Windows 11 with a built-in fix for bad meeting audioMicrosoft released a new Canary test build for Windows yesterday that brings the company’s Voice Clarity feature, which previously only worked on Surface devices, to all Windows machines.Read More · The VergeNeed a Keynoter, Host or Moderator?I would welcome the opportunity to speak at your event. Learn more. Upcoming Events29 JAN — IAB 2024: AI’s Role in Talent Evolution – This session will discuss adaptability, continuous learning, and ways AI can enhance talent, not replace them. Learn more.06 FEB — Strategic Insights: Leveraging AI for Your Business’s Competitive Edge – Learn how AI can benefit your business’s bottom line in various areas, such as marketing, sales, operations, and customer service. Ask questions and network with other business owners interested in using AI to leverage their data to make strategic business decisions. Learn more.06 FEB — Generative AI Co-teachers and Co-students: A New Relationship – This seminar will highlight innovative AI strategies for educators to help maximize student engagement and explore how to balance students’ desire to “game the system” while acknowledging that mastery of generative AI systems is now an essential life skill. Learn more.08 FEB — The Brand Innovators Sports Marketing Summit in Las Vegas during Super Bowl Week – Fireside Chat with John Halley, President, Advertising, Paramount21 MAY — Marriott Engineering & Facilities Conference – Private Event About The Palmer GroupThe Palmer Group works on strategy and solutions with Fortune 500 companies including Samsung, Ford, Verizon, Meta, Nike, Oracle, Mastercard, and the NHL. Please contact us to learn how we can help you leverage the power and promise of Web3 and generative AI.Read More · The Palmer Group |
