Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) are encouraging the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to assess threats posed by deepfake technology.
The three representatives forwarded correspondence last week to DNI chief Dan Coats requesting the Intelligence Community (IC) weigh the national security implications of the technology, which is defined as realistic digital forgeries of videos, images, or audio created with cutting-edge machine learning techniques.
“By blurring the line between fact and fiction, deepfake technology could undermine public trust in recorded images and videos as objective depictions of reality,” the lawmakers wrote. “As deepfake technology becomes more advanced and more accessible, it could pose a threat to United States public discourse and national security, with broad and concerning implications for offensive active measures campaigns targeting the United States.”
Curbelo said deepfakes have the potential to disrupt society and trigger dangerous international and domestic consequences.
“With implications for national security, human rights and public safety, the technological capabilities to produce this kind of propaganda targeting the United States and Americans around the world is unprecedented,” Curbelo said. “As with any threat, our Intelligence Community must be prepared to combat deepfakes, be vigilant against them, and stand ready to protect our nation and the American people from enemies looking to exploit this new technology.”