Future Beat: Our grasp on reality

As artificial intelligence advances, our grasp on reality is getting more tenuous.

A new study has found that human subjects are able to accurately identify only 73 per cent of deepfake speech samples given to them by researchers.

The findings are further backed up by the apparent emergence of?a new category of scams ?where victims are conned into handing over money after seeing or hearing convincing AI imitations of people they trust.

Automated speech detectors trained to identify artificially generated audio and imagery are one solution, but they have some way to go before they can be considered reliable.

Meanwhile, as we head towards the 2024 US presidential election, we now face the prospect of supercharged “fake news”, with little in our armoury to fight it.

Louise Burke

The Big Story

Human beings 'can’t detect deepfake speech'

In brief |?Human beings are unable to accurately detect more than a quarter of deepfake speech samples,?a study has shown . The study, published in?PLOS One, is the first to examine the human capacity to distinguish artificially generated speech in languages other than English.

Why it matters |?While generative AI audio technology has benefits, such as enhancing accessibility for people with speech impairments or those who may lose their voice due to illness, concerns are mounting about its potential misuse by criminals and countries to cause harm to people and societies.

Quoted |?“With generative artificial intelligence technology getting more sophisticated and many of these tools openly available, we’re on the verge of seeing numerous benefits as well as risks” – Lewis Griffin, UCL Computer Science

Future in focus

Rocket star |?Nasa makes progress on rocket that will launch from Mars. ?The Ascent vehicle is expected to bring back surface samples from the Red Planet.

Crossing paths |?Dubai introduces AI-powered pedestrian crossings. ?The cutting-edge crossings can set off flashing warning signs and activate traffic signals when used by pedestrians and cyclists.

Pill power |?Scientists develop 'cancer-killing pill' for chemotherapy treatment . Healthy cells are left intact after a breakthrough drug was found to 'annihilate' solid tumours.

Predicting the future: Signal or noise?

The booming field of artificial intelligence has led to?the rise of religious AI chatbots . They usually answer questions by quoting or referencing holy books including the Quran, Bible and Bhagavad Gita.

This is a signal:?As the technology progresses and expands, AI will have a part to play in almost every realm of human existence, including the spiritual.

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