Why NFTs could be the solution to the DeepFake problem
Why NFTs could be the solution to the DeepFake problem – and be the future of online authenticity.
Non-fungible tokens, or more simply NFTs, are special unique cryptographic tokens.
Since the start of 2021, NFTs have been catching the public eye. While everyone sees the future of art collections in NFTs, they could in fact be the future of authenticity of all online content … The arrival of NFT technology in a speculative fog Anyone can create an NFT, no authority can detach you from your creation because it is encrypted.
To simplify the NFT system, one can imagine unique collectible cards that are in an encrypted glass case allowing everyone to see it but still with a trace of the creator. NFTs are a technology that we have not yet developed into all of its possible applications. The system is quite simple but the applications are endless. Even though you can technically copy an NFT, the creator and owner of that NFT will still be publicly displayed. This is where NFTs find their value.
Today, NFTs are presented as protectors of works of art, one of the safest ways in the world to encrypt a work by making it absolutely unique. For example, the digital artist Beeple sold his digital piece of art for 69,3 millions of dollars this year. NFTs, because they are new, are making a lot of speculation that lead to high amounts of money very quickly. At first glance, the use of an NFT seems reserved for art. First of all, the term “work of art” is only proper to the early days of NFTs and will surely be replaced in the future by the term “content”.
We have to broaden the application of NFTs and detach them from their current pseudo-artistic and innovative speculative bubble. If NFTs can protect works of art, it is because it will allow encryption of all types of content such as images, videos. Already, new possibilities can be seen with a unique video, impossible to copy, hack and steal strictly speaking because its encrypted footprint makes it unique in the world while leaving it accessible to everyone. Here, the aim is not to create a new right of ownership but simply to prove the membership of a recognized sole owner. Online authenticity so far under control While this usage may still seem unclear, just look around: the authenticity of content or even people online has become the norm.
The official profiles of important people are “certified”: social networks like Facebook assure us of the authenticity of the person and therefore attest that the content posted by this person is indeed his own. This means of attaching content to a person thus allows politicians to make social networks a new official means of communication. However, this means of delivering authenticated information has a risk: the hacking of the person’s account. This limit is very easily reached because social media accounts are not extremely difficult to hack.
However, computer hacking leaves its mark.
Therefore, to mitigate this danger, governments and social networks have armed themselves with tools and teams to anticipate, trace and protect users.
Likewise, if an official video is a bit manipulated, advanced image and video manipulation skills would deflect the rigging and demonstrate that the video is fake. Until then, it seems like the situation is under control. However, a new risk has arisen… The arrival of deep fakes or the death of video graphic authenticity Man always ends up finding malicious use of his own innovations.
As it happens, the videos, photos, comments made online have allowed a social, political breakthrough of an immeasurable scope and the positive effects would be almost impossible to try to quantify. But in parallel with this evolution, all the flaws are being discovered.
However, one of the most disturbing flaws of image manipulation can be found in the Deep Fakes. Technological innovations related to editing images and videos are becoming more and more powerful.
Deep Fakes are emerging and are still presented as an innovation that we do not know whether to marvel or be strongly suspicious. Videos of politicians speaking have already been tested to show the quality of these Deep Fakes and as the name suggests the goal is to get people to say things they never said. If this new technology based on artificial intelligence is not yet accessible to everyone, it is only a matter of time before it is possible for any professional to manipulate or create videos that could compromise anyone thanks to a simple photo of that person.
Why NFTs could be the solution to the DeepFake problem
The best -or worst part about Deep Fakes is that they are not detectable and cannot be distinguished from real video. The very notion of “real video” will be just a memory, all videos will look real … Professor Hao Li of the University of Southern California even said that “we are already at the point where you can’t tell the difference between deepfakes and the real thing” . NFTs as an authentication solution?
So, are NFTs just the solution to deep fake, a problem that we ourselves have created? It seems so. If the authenticity of videos is no longer verifiable, then videos should simply be disbelieved. However, the authenticity of official videos has a capital importance in two main areas: videos related to political and diplomatic speeches and videos serving as legal evidence. If in these areas, videos can no longer be considered as working or proof tools, then it will be necessary either to permanently eliminate the consideration of videos or to find a new solution to certify videos.
This is the exact moment for NFTs to shine.
Certifying an NFT video does not mean protecting it from theft or copying, it’s even more powerful. It’s giving this public worldwide authenticity and encrypted security. Thus, a government could encrypt each of its public media interventions in an NFT by claiming that all official government videos are present in publicly accessible NFTs. Therefore, imagine that a compromising video of a politician is published. Imagine that this video is fabricated by a powerful Deep Fake and therefore can only be challenged by the word of the politician denying it.
To avoid a legal dispute of this scope, the government having encrypted the media interventions of its politicians would only have to use the reasoning contrary to its previous assertion and could therefore declare that if the video is not present in one of its NFTs is that it is not real.
For example, in the middle of 2019, a video of Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, speaking while stuttering was published and even retweeted by Donald Trump. The video was compromising for her, it looked like she was speaking while being drunk in an official address. This video was actually a Deepfake and they could be more and more numerous in the future which will strongly affect politics and thereby democracy. A promising and widespread future?
For an application in the private sphere, the NFTs must be able to be the subject of a legal contract where it will be possible to affirm that any content outside an NFT created by a person does not belong to this person and has no connection with this person. A company, a public person within the framework of its media coverage has every interest in certifying and authenticating its content and its statements. Anything that needs to be public but strongly protected from fakes will need an NFT.
Why NFTs could be the solution to the DeepFake problem : Written by Camillia Rida
