Learning Update 2

    Last class we learned about deepfakes – how to create them and how to spot them. I especially enjoyed the New York Times video which spoke about fearmongering. I agree that the real issue about these deepfakes is the people who believe it instantly without critical evaluation and spread them like wildfire. The more likes, shares, and comments that posts get on social media can create hysteria and even make a video feel more credible if millions of other people have already seemed to believe it. Even the TikTok video examples during the in-class presentation were from pages with hundreds of thousands of followers. I have fallen victim to posts that seem real and when I check the comments I then see people are talking about how it is AI. It concerns me that someone like me, who grew up with technology, can’t tell the difference anymore. This is concerning for older generations who may be unfamiliar with how realistic deepfakes have gotten, which opens the door for some type of scam. 
    One thing that does give me optimism is that social media platforms have begun to implement cautions on videos containing AI. More and more videos contain a message: “may contain AI content.” This could help users realize that more uploaded media contains AI than they previously thought, and lead to greater awareness of not believing everything you see. Ultimately, I know we are in an entire new era of technology and I am just trying to sort out what this new reality may hold.