Facebook Discovers Fake AI-Generated Profiles

It's ironic that as we move into a world where anyone can be a "journalist" and anyone can have a voice, we need professional journalists more than ever.

Now a journalist will not only need training in writing well, conveying a story with facts, and investigating, but they will also need to become experts in identifying fake source material.

In a world where anyone can make a video or photo of anyone doing anything, we'll need to rely on reputable journalists to vet that material for us.

Saw a video on YouTube of the President saying something bad? No idea if it's real anymore.

Sure, a lot of this technology has existed for a while, but it was usually in the fringes (see The National Enquirer). Now it's going mainstream.

And the worst part is, there are a whole group of people who will not trust a professional journalist (sometimes with good reason) but will trust anyone online who happens to provide evidence that boosters their existing opinions.

Re: Facebook Discovers Fake AI-Generated Profiles

#5

Post by rvz » Fri, Dec 20, 2019, 9:34 PM UTC

And so it appears that the inevitable has 'finally happened'.

Mark Zuckerberg's website is now a place not to be trusted as a source of news, finding friends and meeting others if there's a possibility of AI generated profiles being proliferated on the website.

I've heard that meeting real humans outdoors makes it less likely to be deceived. Their authenticity is vouched via word of mouth and experience by other humans, rather than robots on the internet.

Re: Facebook Discovers Fake AI-Generated Profiles

#6

Post by dv_dt » Fri, Dec 20, 2019, 9:35 PM UTC

jedberg wrote: post #4

It's ironic that as we move into a world where anyone can be a "journalist" and anyone can have a voice, we need professional journalists more than ever. Now a journalist will not only need training in writing well, conveying a story with facts, and investigating, but they will also need to become experts in identifying fake source material. In a world where anyone can make a video or photo of anyone doing anything,…

In part, imho, the distrust comes from the the standards of the highest tiers of professional journalists being on a low right now too.

Re: Facebook Discovers Fake AI-Generated Profiles

#7

Post by nsomaru » Fri, Dec 20, 2019, 9:45 PM UTC

dv_dt wrote: post #6

jedberg wrote: post #4

It's ironic that as we move into a world where anyone can be a "journalist" and anyone can have a voice, we need professional journalists more than ever. Now a journalist will not only need training in writing well, conveying a story with facts, and investigating, but they will also need to become experts in identifying fake source material. In a world where anyone can make a video or photo of anyone doing anything,…

In part, imho, the distrust comes from the the standards of the highest tiers of professional journalists being on a low right now too.

Journalists are following clicks instead of the other way around

Re: Facebook Discovers Fake AI-Generated Profiles

#8

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Dec 20, 2019, 9:51 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Facebook Discovers Fake AI-Generated Profiles

#9

Post by nemild » Fri, Dec 20, 2019, 9:51 PM UTC

jedberg wrote: post #4

It's ironic that as we move into a world where anyone can be a "journalist" and anyone can have a voice, we need professional journalists more than ever. Now a journalist will not only need training in writing well, conveying a story with facts, and investigating, but they will also need to become experts in identifying fake source material. In a world where anyone can make a video or photo of anyone doing anything,…

One of the scariest quotes for me was Facebook's Little Red Book in 2012 (a book handed out to every employee) that had this quote:

> "When everyone has a printing press [i.e., Facebook], the ones with the best ideas are the ones people listen to."

In retrospect, it gives a ton of insight into the flawed beliefs within the company.

https://twitter.com/nemild/status/1006533287378968576

https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-facebooks-little-red-...

Re: Facebook Discovers Fake AI-Generated Profiles

#10

Post by nemild » Fri, Dec 20, 2019, 9:53 PM UTC

dv_dt wrote: post #6

jedberg wrote: post #4

It's ironic that as we move into a world where anyone can be a "journalist" and anyone can have a voice, we need professional journalists more than ever. Now a journalist will not only need training in writing well, conveying a story with facts, and investigating, but they will also need to become experts in identifying fake source material. In a world where anyone can make a video or photo of anyone doing anything,…

In part, imho, the distrust comes from the the standards of the highest tiers of professional journalists being on a low right now too.

I'm doubtful that most journalists actually want it to be that way. Those are just the economic and reader incentives in journalism today.

There are some great stats about just how much the number of professional journalists has shrunk in the social media era.