Evaluating the risks posed by deepfakes

EPFL's International Risk Governance Center (IRGC) has published one of the first comprehensive overviews of both the risks posed by deepfakes and the potential responses to them. The study aims to serve as a primer for countering the threat posed by deepfakes. A few weeks ago, French charity Solidarité Sida caused a sensation when it published a fake yet highly realistic video of Donald Trump proclaiming "AIDS is over" as part of an awareness-raising campaign. The video in question is what's known as a deepfake, a technique that involves using machine learning to fabricate increasingly realistic images and videos as well as audio and text files. This use of a deepfake video by a charity highlights the growing prevalence of this phenomenon. While pornography currently accounts for the vast majority of deepfake videos, the technique can also be used to defraud, to defame, to spread fake news or to steal someone's identity. Evolving threats In September, EPFL's International Risk Governance Center (IRGC) brought together around 30 experts for an interdisciplinary seminar to discuss this fast-evolving phenomenon and its growing prevalence.