Florantonia Singer has an interesting El País piece on fake news reporters.
They’re not TV anchors, they’re avatars: How Venezuela is using AI-generated propaganda
Fake news stories about economic improvement presented by computer-made ‘reporters’ have begun circulating online, evidencing how the technology is being used to further pro-government narratives
A blond-haired man introduces a news story for House of News, an alleged newscast in which an English-speaking anchor attempts to demonstrate that Venezuela’s economy is not “really destroyed” as many claim, because hotel occupancy for the Carnival period is reportedly sky-high thanks to Venezuelans eager to spend their money on the Caribbean beaches. In another news segment, a Black news anchor discusses the profits generated by the Caribbean Series, a professional baseball tournament held a week ago in Caracas: $10 million in tickets to watch baseball games, $7 million in food bought by fans. The data seems surprising, considering that the government has not even revealed how much it cost to build two stadiums in record time with the country’s depleted finances – caused, as authorities are constantly repeating, by international sanctions.
The alleged journalists are Noah and Daren, two avatars created with artificial intelligence from the Synthesia software’s catalog of more than a hundred multiracial faces. Like Noah and Daren, there are avatars dressed as television hosts, but there is also Dave who can be made to look like a doctor or an executive, Carlo who wears a construction helmet, a woman in a hijab, a chef and even Santa Claus. A few months ago, some of them, also in their role as reporters, were used in a pro-China disinformation campaign, as The New York Times reported a few days ago.
I'm genuine by the way. I'm a real person living here in Derbyshire tapping away at my keyboard with real fingers - or rather one real finger most of the time. I've just finished a genuine mug of coffee and consumed a genuine piece of dark chocolate.
Thought I'd add that.
5 comments:
Just as Venezuela has had to turn to someone reliable. Remember how effective 'Chemical Ali' was?
If Karine Jean-Pierre (the awful White House Press Secretary) gets digitally replaced you could draw some conclusions about the regime she fronts too.
I can't see how a government or other organisation would benefit from having an artificially-generated avatar deliver propaganda. If they can generate the verbal content and afford the cost of the software, they can afford to pay some real person to deliver it.
I mean, here in the UK, which is cheaper - an avatar of a small, superficially plausible Asian bloke in a suit, or paying the little bloke from the local pharmacy a few hundred quid to pretend that we have a sovereign government?
Hot drink and chocolate? Hrmph. This winter we've discovered Twining's Swiss Hot Chocolate. Lovely stuff, and goes down beautifully with half a hot cross bun.
"a genuine mug of coffee and consumed a genuine piece of dark chocolate. " Well you hope they are genuine, they probably still are, for now.
DJ - maybe a digital White House Press Secretary is already being trained on Karine Jean-Pierre videos. One day the switch may be made and nobody will notice.
Sam - the big gain would be having an avatar which is always far better informed than the assembled media hacks. Of course in time the assembled media hacks will also be avatars.
dearieme - I've just checked and our Tesco sells it. I'll try it.
Woodsy - at least until the chocolate ration comes in.
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