Deep Fakes Pose Serious Risk to Scientific Research, Says Oxford's Sibel Erduran

Professor of Science Education and Director for Research at Oxford University, Sibel Erduran, wrote a paper about how altered content on the internet is affecting scientific studies and research. As artificial intelligence (AI) is getting common, deep fakes have also seen a rise. With the rise in technology, deep fakes are becoming more real. Erudan says that scientific research requires trust and that is not possible with the amount of altered information available on the internet.

In 2023, thousands of research papers were recalled due to fake content present in them. The professor says that scientific integrity is already under threat, and now deep fakes are adding another layer of threat to them. Deep fakes can also alter the videos of respected scientists and make them say wrong information which can become a big problem. Issues like climate change and public health are under the most threat.

Erudan says that if we make deep fake detection tools, it can save a bit of scientific integrity. On the other hand, deep fakes can give some opportunities for learning too. They can be beneficial to technological advancements and innovation. For instance, deep fakes can serve as realistic simulation for medical students to learn medical skills without compromising safety.

More than half of Americans have been fooled by deep fakes. According to a survey, 33% to 50% Americans couldn’t identify deep fakes. To keep ourselves safe from deep fakes, we should focus on deep learning and enhance our critical thinking skills. Misinformation detection tools and deep fake detection tools can help us combat fake content.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World