The Rise of Generative AI and Its Impact on the Future of Content Creation

Content creation has always been an act of human creativity, a cognitive and generative process that has driven technological and social progress throughout the centuries. However, the current landscape presents us with an epochal turning point. Artificial intelligence (AI) models defined as "generative" are emerging with the ability to generate content indistinguishable from human-created content. This transformation raises profound questions about the role of humans in creation, challenging the very concept of originality and imagination.

Benefits and Challenges of Generative AI

Despite these concerns, it is undeniable that this technological revolution brings with it considerable advantages. Generative AI promises to make our actions more efficient, overcoming cognitive and capacity barriers, and ranging from content production to book reading, to legal assistance in court. However, the impact of such change goes beyond mere technological progress, touching on ethical, moral, and legislative aspects.

The Need for Traceability and Origin

The attention is justified, as technologies of this scope gather in themselves opportunities and risks. Like any technological tool, AI can be used for positive or negative purposes, representing a challenge for our ability to regulate and control it. The power of manipulation through the generation of images and videos raises the fundamental question of the discernibility between what is real and what is artificially generated.

In this context, the traceability of information becomes essential. The question of the origin of an image or an article, or whether it was generated artificially or created by a human being, becomes crucial for the cognitive protection of every human being. In an era where opinion can shape the destiny of entire populations, especially during election periods, guaranteeing the right to know the origin of content becomes a significant challenge.

The Danger of Fake Content and Manipulation

Much like Saint Thomas, modern society also attributes greater credibility to information if it is associated with an image or, more generally, with visual content. The possibility of generating "never happened" (fake) images or of making famous people "say" words they never uttered is capable of triggering a manipulative and polarizing sentiment in human beings. For example, if sufficiently credible compromising videos of a politician were to be released on social media, many people would start to take sides for and against them. Even if the content were to be declared false a few hours later, the manipulative and polarizing sentiment would persist over time.

Establishing a Right of Origin for Digital Content

Consequently, it is urgent to establish a right of "origin" for digital content, similar to traceability in the food chain. Ensuring that information is genuine and comes from human sources is essential to preserve trust and fairness in the digital world. After all, if reading is food for the mind, it is imperative to know the true origin of what we consume intellectually.

International Efforts to Combat Fake Content

At the international level, a pro-American coalition called c2pa.org is working to create a global standard so that "generative" organizations, i.e., organizations that release generative models, can insert a kind of digital "watermark" into their creations (whether images, videos, sounds or texts), which is not visible to the human eye but is visible to automatic systems in order to trace artificially generated content. Unfortunately, not all international "generative" organizations will adhere to this standard, just as happens in other sectors, for example: food, agriculture, labor exploitation, hygiene and health conditions, vaccination requirements and many other examples. Non-adherence to international standards occurs mainly for cultural, geopolitical and market differentiation reasons. Moreover, opponents intent on creating false information in order to manipulate a group of people will certainly not want to use a control system like the one proposed by the coalition. Therefore, precisely when there is the greatest need for control, we will not be able to rely on the "watermark".

AI-based Solutions for Detecting Fake Content

Fortunately, there are other AI-based solutions that, together with the concept of "watermark" and "image signature", can come to our aid. These are solutions capable - with a certain probability - of identifying whether a content (excluding text for now) has been generated artificially. An artificial intelligence that aims to "hunt down" another artificial intelligence. The advantage of such solutions lies in the fact that it is not necessary to trust the source and allows the origin of the content to be attributed automatically and quickly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the AI revolution has opened up new horizons, but it requires careful and conscious guidance. Dialogue between institutions, society and religious authorities becomes crucial to shape a future where artificial intelligence and humanity can coexist in harmony.

This article has been translated from my own contribution on Wired (here ) by AI.