In their book, “AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future,” Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan point out an unsettling fact. We used to live in a world where we could trust video evidence, but apparently, this is no longer the case. The surge of deepfakes—digital forgeries that leverage artificial intelligence to manipulate or fabricate audio and visual content with unsettling realism—has ushered us into an era where even the reality of video and audio recordings must be questioned.
Deepfakes have complicated implications for the general public, but they pose unique concerns for employers. While this new technology has the potential to bring about game-changing advancements, it also presents a rising threat to corporate security and personnel reliability. In response to this emerging risk, employers must adapt their strategies and policies to confront the challenges of deepfakes.
Below are five recommended approaches employers should consider in tackling the issue of deepfakes:
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Educate Employees: Employers should invest in education and awareness programs to keep their employees informed about the existence and potential misuse of deepfakes. These programs should cover defense mechanisms like utilizing detection software.
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Improve Video and Audio Verification: Adopt techniques and technologies for video and audio verification to ascertain the authenticity of the content. Biometric authentication, like facial or voice recognition, could play a vital role here.
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Establish Clear Policies: Employers should establish clear policies that prohibit the creation and distribution of deepfake content within the workplace. An appropriate clause in the employment contract might deter potential misuse.
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Legally Protect Your Company: Review and adjust legal tools at the company’s disposal, like non-disclosure agreements and intellectual property rights protection, to account for the threat of deepfakes.
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Preparedness and Contingency Planning: At the forefront of countermeasures should be drafting a robust response strategy and communication plan to tackle potential crisis scenarios arising from deepfakes.
This paradigm shift around trust in audio and visual evidence due to deepfakes mandates a proactive approach from employers. By incorporating these practices, corporations and law firms can shield themselves better from the potential threats and implications of this emerging technology.