Monday, June 3, 2019

House lawmakers are expected to discuss the threat of so-called ‘deepfakes’ at an upcoming hearing on national security. According to a congressional aide Monday, the Intelligence Committee will look at videos which are manipulated using artificial intelligence next week.

This comes as Republicans and Democrats want to combat the spread of disinformation ahead of the 2020 elections. The issue gained attention after a deceptively edited video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing to slur her words recently went viral.

Although the video wasn’t made with artificial intelligence technology, experts warn the tactic could be weaponized by foreign governments to influence future elections.

“Advances in areas such as artificial intelligence, communication technologies, biotechnology and materiel sciences are changing our way of life,” stated Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. “But our adversaries are also investing heavily into these technologies, and they are likely to create new and unforeseen challenges to our health, economy, and security.”

Next Thursday’s hearing will be the first time Congress specifically focuses on the issue of ‘deepfakes’ after failing to get much attention.