Defence force chief Angus Campbell warns deepfakes and AI will drive era of 'truth decay'

The defence force chief has warned the world is entering an era of "truth decay" where misinformation will undermine democracy and leave liberal, Western societies like Australia increasingly exposed to enemies. Key points: General Angus Campbell fears public confidence in elected officials will be damaged as AI and deepfake use accelerates He fears Australians will increasingly struggle to separate fact from fiction General Campbell has accused Russia of seeking to fracture allegiances between Western democracies General Angus Campbell has outlined future challenges where rapidly advancing technology could soon make it impossible for most people to distinguish fact from fiction. "This tech future may accelerate truth decay, greatly challenging the quality of what we call public 'common sense', seriously damaging public confidence in elected officials, and undermining the trust that binds us." General Campbell cited a "deep fake" video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which emerged last year falsely portraying the wartime leader urging his military to surrender to invading Russian forces.