Authenticity in the Age of Deception

I was delighted to learn that “authentic” was chosen by Merriam-Webster as its Word of the Year for 2023. Authenticity has become a rare commodity in today’s world, dominated by fake news, artificial emotions, counterfeit personalities, and superficial friendships – essentially, a world of "fake everything."

Being authentic is the aspiration for brands, social media influencers, and celebrities alike. Yet, how can they stay true to their own personality, spirit, or character when financial incentives often reward inauthenticity? So, has "authenticity" now become a performance?

And if that weren’t challenging enough, we now face yet another hurdle – recognizing authenticity in content generated by AI. This brings us to another word that has earned a place in the top Word of the Year 2023 list - “deepfake.” Some politicians, their campaigners, and media serving politicians have become deepfake gurus. The quest for authenticity is, in part, a response to technologies like deepfake – described as "an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said." In late April and early May, the interest in deepfake surged when lawyers for Elon Musk argued that he shouldn’t have to provide legal testimony about public statements he made since, as a famous person, some of his statements might be deepfakes. (This argument was rejected by the judge.)

As we grapple with the implications of deepfakes and the performance of authenticity, the pursuit of truth persists. Perhaps, by recognizing the value of sincerity, we can pave the way for more genuine connections in a landscape dominated by the illusion of reality. The struggle for authenticity endures, and only time will reveal the true impact of this ongoing battle against the tide of fakeness.