Report 686

We live in crazy times, where #FakeNews and data gathering is increasingly shaping the discourse.

The revelations from the Cambridge Analytica have shed some light on just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

According to the New York Times and Britain’s Observer newspapers, Cambridge Analytica was accused of stealing information from 50 million Facebook users’ profiles in the tech giant’s biggest-ever data breach, to help them design software to predict and influence voters’ choices at the ballot box.

But, if you weren’t concerned enough already, this video of former President of the United States, Barack Obama saying all kinds of stuff will have you shook. Of course, it’s not actually Obama saying all these things, that’s the whole point.

Filmmaker Jordan Peele, the mastermind behind the movie Get Out, revealed just how easy it is to use AI technology in digital warfare and propaganda.

Teaming up with Buzzfeed, his Monkeypaw Productions team created a fake public service announcement delivered by AI Obama. It shows just how easy it use to use artificial intelligence and visual editing tools to spread misinformation.

AI Obama looks just like real Obama and Peele does a pretty good job of impersonating his voice. The results are scary, but also informative.

From calling Donald Trump a ‘dipshit’ to ‘stay woke, bitches’, AI Obama has a lot to say.

Watch: AI Obama is creepy AF

The takeaway from this experiment is simple: in an age where your confirmation bias is likely to be confirmed by algorithms, be extra cautious of what you believe.

We’re in an era where propaganda is taking on a completely different form. We should always question everything. Yes, that includes this website you’re reading.

And be careful of who you share your information with. If you need help restricting access to third-party apps on Facebook, check out our handy guide over here.