Opinion: From AI To ChatGPT To Deepfakes: Are We Losing Our Grasp On Reality?

In late March, a picture of Pope Francis draped in a Balenciaga bubble coat did the viral rounds. Alarming is how effortlessly the photo was created: Using a program called Midjourney, Chicagoan Pablo Xavier simply typed three prompts: “Catholic Pope Francis,” “Balenciaga puffy coat” and “streets of Paris.” Midjourney employs the use of “chatbots,” programs designed to simulate human conversation. The concept of being able to “deepfake,” or reasonably mimic someone else’s voice, is concerning: This past weekend, Drake made headlines as the victim of two separate AI deepfakes: The first is his voice used to rap Ice Spice’s “Munch”; Champagne Papi responded “This is the final straw AI” to the “cover” on his Instagram Story. The second is an “original song” featuring AI verses from known Toronto enemies Drake and The Weeknd about the latter’s ex, Selena Gomez. But when it comes to creating technology that potentially takes human control out of the equation, we’re consistently examining the question, “Even if we can create it, should we?” Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free Press The next four years will change America forever.