AI
Friday, April 20, 2018 8:33:28 AM
Inside the government agency designing tech to fight fake news
The team that brought you driverless cars and Siri is now fighting a new kind of war on information.
by Maura Barrett and Jo Ling Kent / Apr.18.2018 / 11:46 PM ET
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/inside-government-agency-designing-tech-fight-fake-news-n865586
In the world of internet memes, Instagram filters, and Photoshop, seeing is no longer believing. Everyone is a photographer or videographer once they have a smartphone in their hands, which often comes equipped with alteration tools already installed. But manipulations that started with cropping and teeth-whitening have spurred into the spread of misinformation.
Parkland shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez is pictured ripping up a shooting range target, left. At right, a doctored photo circulated the Internet, depicting Gonzalez tearing apart the U.S. Constitution.
Take this photo of Parkland shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez, seemingly ripping up the U.S. Constitution. The image went viral following last month's March for Our Lives, where Gonzalez attracted widespread media attention after addressing hundreds of thousands of supporters of gun control. The photo sparked outrage on social media, criticizing Gonzalez's motives and her patriotism.
But the image had been doctored. In the original photo, Gonzalez was tearing up a shooting range target, and was part of a Teen Vogue cover story on the #NeverAgain movement.
It was an example of what’s known as a “deep fake”: when people use machine-learning algorithms to easily create digital impersonations via photo, video or audio content. With manipulated media popping up and circulating on social media in recent years, experts are worried about the increasing possibility that these deep fakes will easily dupe the public.
The U.S. Department of Defense is fighting back. After testing projects like driverless cars and early iterations of Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, years ahead of their release to the public, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is now taking on fake news.
The agency was originally formed in 1958 in response to the successful — and unexpected — Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite into space.
“We have a mission within DARPA to invest in breakthrough technologies that prevent strategic surprise,” said David Doermann, program manager of DARPA’s new media forensics project called MediFor, “and essentially guarantee national security.”
...
More
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/inside-government-agency-designing-tech-fight-fake-news-n865586
The team that brought you driverless cars and Siri is now fighting a new kind of war on information.
by Maura Barrett and Jo Ling Kent / Apr.18.2018 / 11:46 PM ET
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/inside-government-agency-designing-tech-fight-fake-news-n865586
In the world of internet memes, Instagram filters, and Photoshop, seeing is no longer believing. Everyone is a photographer or videographer once they have a smartphone in their hands, which often comes equipped with alteration tools already installed. But manipulations that started with cropping and teeth-whitening have spurred into the spread of misinformation.
Parkland shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez is pictured ripping up a shooting range target, left. At right, a doctored photo circulated the Internet, depicting Gonzalez tearing apart the U.S. Constitution.
Take this photo of Parkland shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez, seemingly ripping up the U.S. Constitution. The image went viral following last month's March for Our Lives, where Gonzalez attracted widespread media attention after addressing hundreds of thousands of supporters of gun control. The photo sparked outrage on social media, criticizing Gonzalez's motives and her patriotism.
But the image had been doctored. In the original photo, Gonzalez was tearing up a shooting range target, and was part of a Teen Vogue cover story on the #NeverAgain movement.
It was an example of what’s known as a “deep fake”: when people use machine-learning algorithms to easily create digital impersonations via photo, video or audio content. With manipulated media popping up and circulating on social media in recent years, experts are worried about the increasing possibility that these deep fakes will easily dupe the public.
The U.S. Department of Defense is fighting back. After testing projects like driverless cars and early iterations of Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, years ahead of their release to the public, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is now taking on fake news.
The agency was originally formed in 1958 in response to the successful — and unexpected — Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite into space.
“We have a mission within DARPA to invest in breakthrough technologies that prevent strategic surprise,” said David Doermann, program manager of DARPA’s new media forensics project called MediFor, “and essentially guarantee national security.”
...
More
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/inside-government-agency-designing-tech-fight-fake-news-n865586
Join the InvestorsHub Community
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
