Could Artificial Intelligence help You Get Away with Murder?
Whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay, and with it comes a chilling new realm of possibilities. It promises better production, unprecedented efficiency, and progress at a pace humanity has never witnessed. However, a dark subset of humanity is waiting in the shadows, ready to exploit these advancements for nefarious ends.
Deepfake Pornography
Not long ago, superstar Taylor Swift was the victim of a flood of pornographic videos and images, all crafted through deepfake technology. Her legal team fought back, but what happens if you lack the resources to combat such violations?
Revenge Porn, as it’s known in the UK, involves the malicious publication of intimate images without consent. Previously, the perpetrator needed access to the victim’s private images. But now, AI has changed the game.
While AI systems are supposedly programmed with ethical boundaries to prevent the creation of such images, there will inevitably be those that operate outside these moral confines. This technology poses a dire threat, especially to individuals after acrimonious breakups, where a vindictive partner could destroy a victim’s life. Victims not only face the herculean task of removing these images but also proving their AI origins.
The Menace of Synthetic Voices and Texts
In the UK, sending grossly offensive electronic communications is illegal. But what if someone could generate your voice with AI and use it to send vile messages? What if they could send a barrage of explicit AI-generated images and texts to someone else, demanding ransom to keep them from your spouse? Imagine a fabricated video of you performing degrading acts with another person. The events aren’t real, but the devastation is tangible.
As AI continues to evolve, and AI-generated content becomes indistinguishable from reality, how will we separate truth from illusion?
Law enforcement relies on concrete evidence to convict criminals—photographs, mapping data, CCTV footage. If accused of a crime, such as murder, and you claim the evidence is AI-generated, how will the police distinguish reality from fabrication? How can they convince a jury conditioned to seeing both AI and real images? Will it become nearly impossible not just to prove guilt, but also to establish innocence?
I shudder to think what the future holds in this impending dystopian nightmare. Will we be forced to document every second of our lives to protect ourselves? Will the state install cameras in every home, claiming it’s for our safety against false accusations?
Was George Orwell's vision in 1984 a grim prophecy?
Only time will tell.
