Blockchains Could Combat AI Deepfakes, Says Grayscale Analyst

AI-generated content poses a significant online disinformation threat, but blockchain technology can help verify and authenticate the truth, according to William Ogden Moore, Research Analyst at Grayscale Investments.

As AI integrates more into daily life, its impact on sectors like finance has been profound, facilitating smarter investments and market analysis. However, the rise of generative AI has also introduced risks, notably the creation of “deepfakes.” These highly realistic digital forgeries use AI to manipulate or generate visual and audio content, such as the deepfake video of Barack Obama created by comedian Jordan Peele to highlight the technology’s potential dangers.

The prevalence of deepfakes is increasing rapidly. A report by Sumsub Research noted that between 2022 and the first half of 2023, deepfakes as a proportion of content in the U.S. surged from 0.2% to 2.6%. Experts warn that deepfakes could sway public opinion and influence events like elections, posing a threat to democracies worldwide.

Public blockchains like Ethereum offer a potential solution. Their transparency, decentralized nature, and focus on network security and immutability make them well-suited to verify content authenticity. Public blockchains record information transparently and accessibly, allowing anyone to verify its validity, such as the creator or timestamp. This decentralized structure reduces the risk of manipulation and ensures tamper-resistant records.

Blockchain technology has already proven its ability to authenticate content, as seen with digital art in the form of non-fungible tokens. Blockchain can similarly authenticate videos, images, and text, laying the foundation for tools to combat deepfakes, such as OpenAI’s Worldcoin, Irys, and Numbers Protocol.

With AI-generated content expected to dominate the internet in the future, protecting against deepfakes is critical. Public blockchains, operated collectively by users, offer promising features to address these challenges. However, the technology is still in its early stages, and widespread adoption remains a challenge.

To uphold truth and transparency, society must remain committed to developing and implementing blockchain solutions as we navigate the risks posed by emerging technologies.

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