Incredibly Unbelievable: Last week in St Petersburg, when Putin ‘the interviewer’ appeared on a life-size screen in the hall and asked Putin ‘the Guest’ about his thoughts on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the audiences were seen gasping in disbelief. The on-screen Putin was matching modulation for modulation & mannerisms for mannerisms of President Putin. In the beginning, President Putin was lost for words but collected his thoughts and responded by saying, “Only one person must be like me and speak with my voice and that will be me.”
It was an incredibly unbelievable moment for the audiences sitting in the hall and those watching on their televisions around the world. It indicated something of a revolutionary development that the world was witnessing. Not only the science & technology behind it but also the geopolitical optics that Russia chose to broadcast around the globe. Russia knew the event would be closely followed by the international media and there wouldn’t be a better opportunity to showcase something like this.
The fast-paced evolution of AI has been part of scientific discussions for some time now. The capacity to closely imitate and mimic personalities has been trickling down in one form or the other. Generative intelligence has been a matter of serious research across the world leading to uses in data analysis, medical diagnosis, media marketing, the creation of tailored content, and much more.
It took President Putin some time to come to terms with his AI double. The on-screen Putin was matching modulation for modulation & mannerisms for mannerisms of President Putin. Initially, President Putin was lost for words but collected his thoughts and responded by saying, “Only one person must be like me and speak with my voice and that will be me
The speed and expanse have been breath-taking. Kevin Pérez-Allen, chief communications officer, USC an NGO monitoring upcoming US elections said, Open AI is already producing first drafts of speeches and campaign materials. However, most generative AI exploitations have fallen into the grey zone with scores of Deepfakes doing rounds on the internet. On May 30, Reuters reported Deepfake videos of Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden endorsing views that are entirely atrocious to their personalities. But never has an official Deepfake of any leader been unveiled, it was an absolute first and especially important as the subject personality was no less than President Putin himself.
Mimicking Humans
Since AI came onto the horizon it has been deemed as the most valuable technological evolution of our lifetime. It has brought machines much closer to mimicking humans with complementary evolving technologies of Machine Learning and Blockchains. The potential impact can be gauged by the fact that almost every field that matters to humanity is talking about the subject, whether it’s research, medicine, military, or trade & commerce. The exponential growth seen in the adaptation of open AI platforms and corresponding investments in R&D by global majors puts it as an inviolable idea at present and indicates its far-reaching impact in the future.
There has been graduated technology evolution before, the arrival of computers was touted as the first stage of machines standing up as alternate intelligence apart from humans; advancement to robots was again touted as the next stepping stage for intelligent machines evolving into the physical domain, but all that needed a man behind these machines. It still gave humans a sense of superiority over their creation as they felt they had ‘power in their hands’ to control them.
But the synthetic media we are now witnessing is way beyond those generations. These are simply smart and capable of functioning free of intervention. Their skills are not restricted to the memory of the chip humans have inserted but ‘they learn as they see’, it’s truly unbelievable! This growing technology continues to amuse everyone with its accuracy, knowledge, smartness, and above all its relevance.
The exploitation of such ground-breaking stuff cannot stay away from the perils of misuse. Much sooner than expected, the world was flooded with Deepfakes as a tool for short-term gains. It offered disproportionate advantages for the dark world soon plethora of AI-generated photos & clips were plastered all over the web some humourous, some tasteless, and some purely offensive, the latter being the generic norm. The aim often remained personality theft for cheap popularity.
Reality of Fakes
When the screen came alive with ‘Putin’ preparing to ask questions to the Russian President, it drew some deep breaths. Soon it turned into admiration for the sophistication and charm it exonerated paralleling President Putin’s original self. Many analysts suggested it took President Putin some time to come to terms with his AI double and respond in his usual crisp thoughts. But a more fundamental question was missed – why was it showcased after all?
As is known about the ways of the Russian Federation nothing ‘happens’ without the knowledge of the President. Especially, the magnitude of sensitivity showcasing Russian people their own president’s AI double. A deeper assessment clarifies this development, the question asked itself points to the answer. President Putin wanted to crush the ‘myth’ of his poor health, extensively orchestrated by the Western Media suggesting he’s often forced to use body doubles to nurse some kind of chronic illness.
The synthetic media we are witnessing now is smart and capable of functioning free of intervention. Its skills are not restricted to the memory of the chip humans have inserted but ‘it learns as it sees’, it’s truly unbelievable! This growing technology continues to amuse everyone with its accuracy, knowledge, smartness, and above all its relevance
President Putin’s response that he is the ‘only one’ in full control of the Russian Federation was emphatic and targeted at the global audience. It also simultaneously strengthened the larger-than-life persona of President Putin who’s dealing with a bloody war and an approaching election. The whole razzmatazz indicates two possibilities with one takeaway; first, the spectacle has the approval of President Putin; second, it showcases Russian prowess in the most thrilling technological advancements of AI. The takeaway is the reality of fakes, whether one likes it or not AI and its numerous profiles are here to stay.
Unforgiving Permutation
With natural excitement surrounding AI, a common concern is also evolving around the world, is it so good really? Even for all the ‘ayes’ there has been a lingering fear of its potential for massive misuse in the complete absence of a counter-check. Commercial developments of generative AI as compared to military ones are in the lead today, they don’t have to be truly bothered by issues like national security or even human ethics. However, its challenges over national security are immensely overbearing. Visualising a national leader or a senior military commander ordering war or authorising the use of mass destruction weapons during tense standoffs can simply spiral the conflicts beyond control.
The exploitation of such a ground-breaking technology cannot stay away from the perils of misuse. Its challenges over national security are immensely overbearing. Visualising a national leader or a senior military commander ordering war or authorising the use of mass destruction weapons during tense standoffs can simply spiral the conflicts beyond control
These issues are giving jitters to the military and other national security apparatus. There are very high chances of it leading to flawed actions. More complications exist even in the lower rung, with fewer checks creating higher chances of false take-offs. It is assessed that in the military domain, generative AI will likely create more headaches than help out the commanders! The need to find answers about how to filter out authentic visuals, authentic communications and authentic intent has become very urgent and critical now. The severity of expected damages would only direct individual nations to herd their resources in finding their safety net. Till then, it’s an unforgiving permutation of fighting a shrewd enemy with blindfolds!
-The writer, experienced in security and geopolitics, contributes to national publications and newspapers. His articles can be accessed on the popular blog site newsanalytics.co.in, focusing on geo-strategic affairs. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
