When Truth Gets Blurry

Holding Fast in an Age of Digital Deception

Have you seen the video of a loyal pet cat pawing at the front door as dark clouds churn behind him? A tornado forms in the distance, threatening the animal. The cat cries, waiting for his owner to open the door, but before it happens, the winds howl and sweep him off the porch and into the storm.

Another video shows a toddler playing on the back porch as a crocodile creeps up behind the child. The toddler offers the reptile some of his snack. Just in time, mom bursts through the door, snatching the child from danger before the predator has a chance for a snack of his own. You think, “Wow, that’s incredible.” You are even aware of feeling anxious from what you saw. These videos rack up millions of views, and are filled with comments like “This broke my heart” or “I’m so thankful that the parent acted fast.”

But the problem is that the videos are fake. These clips are products of Artificial Intelligence. It’s not that there are real videos that are just digitally enhanced. No, they are completely fabricated through A.I. They are created to mimic reality and initiate a human reaction. They exploit emotion, feed on fear, and they blur the fragile line between what’s true and what’s false.

The videos are a dangerous foreshadowing of the powerful and deceptive nature found in Artificial Intelligence. We are watching the rise of manufactured reality. And it’s in our newsfeeds, our politics, and even our pulpits.