Deepfakes and the Currency of Authenticity

The technological changes introduced to the world by Artificial Intelligence are impossible to quantify. With such great advances, however, come considerable costs for humanity. The rise of so-called ‘deep fakes’, understood as the manipulation of images and videos of individuals using ‘deep learning’, generative technology, has already been described by the US Department of Homeland Security as a very real threat to the “primacy of credibility and authority of traditional social institutions”, impacting everything from border security to freedom of the press. In a world where a political leader’s words can be convincingly manipulated to suit whatever their opponent’s may wish, the public’s trust in the ordinary channels of political communication, and in one another, will be considerably lowered. The existence of ever-more sophisticated AI technology thus means that the ability to access the ‘authentic’ voices of both public figures and individual citizens becomes increasingly important. Here, I propose that we can better understand the problems associated with deepfake technology by drawing on the centuries’-old philosophical literature on authenticity. In contrast to traditional understandings of authenticity as an individualistic desire to be ‘seen’ as one wishes in the eyes of others, I argue that authenticity can be better thought of us a valuable form of social currency. That authenticity is diminished in today’s world because of technological advances means that it is increasingly valued as an essential component of our relationships with one another. Our need for authenticity from others thus stems from the inherent vulnerability at the heart of the human condition. This human demand for authenticity thus provides a degree of hope for those concerned that deep fake technology will cause irreparable damage to our democratic and social relations.