The internet has been left in shock by fake news reports that have been made using artificial intelligence and look terrifyingly real.
Most of us have watched a TV news report before and know what to expect – the ones with real human journalists at the scene with a microphone relaying the latest updates.
This distinctively human activity has now been given the AI treatment.
One viral clip shared on social media earlier this month shows a journalist in a TV studio speaking to a ‘correspondent’ about a ‘war’ that Canada has enacted on the United States, which is false.
The correspondent at the ‘boarder’ later explains that the video is actually artificially-generated. It is part of a compilation of clips that are all AI-generated, and text is shown at the end of the video which says ‘made with Google VEO 3 by @thetravisible’.
The clips were made using AI (Getty Stock Image)
Another clip with thousands of reposts and likes on Twitter depicts a journalist, named Angela Carter, in the midst of a flood on a suburban street.
After giving a very realistic introduction, the AI character then reveals: “Just kidding, I’m not real,” as a shark swims behind her.
The videos of the AI news reports have understandably spooked many social media users.
“The world is getting scarier,” one X user replied.
Someone else wrote: “On one hand, it’s amazing that we now have the technology to do such things. On the other hand, it’s scary to think what horrible people can/will do with it…”
Another shocked viewer said: “The first one actually could be somewhere in Florida after a hurricane.”
AI is a key area of concern among journalists and audiences alike due to its potential to destroy trust in news, spread misinformation, and erode jobs.
There’s also worry around the inaccuracies created by AI content as well as bias. Although these fake news reports do not appear to have sinister intentions, who knows what things people will create next and who will fall for it?
What is Google Veo 3?
It’s an AI video generation model that can create 8-second videos that are very realistic. You might have seen a video created with this model on your social media feeds and not realized that the faces on your screen were not real.
Veo 3 has the ability to produce audio and dialogue, separating it from other video generation tools. And it’s only going to become more advanced.
In the meantime, Google has an entire webpage dedicated to sharing information on how to advance AI ‘safely and responsibly’ although whether everyone who gets their hands on Veo 3, and other AI generators, will read it remains unclear.
The webpage also explains how AI can be used to provide helpful tools and education. It states: “We help people and organizations responsibly create and identify AI-generated content.”