BTMedia is all around us, from the TV we watch to the posts we scroll through on social media, and we have seen in the past few decades how media has evolved with the advancements of technology. From the early days of print and broadcast media to the digital age, the way we consume and produce media has undergone significant transformations; from physical books and newspapers to the internet and social media.
In more recent years, we’ve seen new developments in the media we consume, and the emergence of synthetic media has become more prevalent.
What is synthetic media?
Synthetic media combines our creativity with new technology, referring to media content generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies.
Synthetic media is a broad term that encapsulates various forms of AI-generated content. From simple image editing to complex generative models capable of creating entirely new, lifelike content, synthetic media has become increasingly sophisticated and accessible to us.
The Rise of Synthetic Media
The rise of synthetic media as a form of automated art can be traced back to the earliest examples of image editing and manipulation. Following this, we saw the introduction of computer-generated imagery (CGI), a significant advancement in digital art which helped blend real-world footage with digital effects.
These processes marked the first steps of synthetic media, which expanded rapidly with the emergence of powerful computers capable of handling AI and advanced algorithms such as ‘deep learning.’ Deep learning, a subset of machine learning, enables AI systems to learn from vast amounts of data, enabling them to generate highly realistic and convincing synthetic content.
In the past few years, as AI has continued to learn from this data, and has demonstrated remarkable advancements in the creation of highly realistic synthetic media. Now, synthetic media is being used all across the internet, generating realistic paintings, accurately face-swapping individuals for videos and images, and simulating voices that can be seamlessly integrated into videos, games and virtual reality.
The Impact of Synthetic Media on Society
We’re only just beginning to see the scale of the impact synthetic media is having on society, changing the way we work and the content we view. Currently, we know synthetic media and the technology behind it are transforming the creative industries in a similar way to CGI; increasing our ability to use creative expression and reducing limitations in the creative process.
Whether it be by instantly translating voices into multiple languages, to supporting content creation, synthetic media is continuing to spread across more industries to help improve efficiency, communication and accessibility. However, the potential for misuse is equally significant.
As synthetic media becomes increasingly accessible and easy to use, individuals have also used its technology as an opportunity to cause harm. Recently, the scale of synthetic media being generated to depict non-consensual intimate content has been demonstrated, with synthetic sexual content, commonly known as ‘deepfakes’ being seen by one in seven adults in new Ofcom research.
Alongside this, we’ve seen how synthetic media has been used deceptively across the internet to cause harm, including through scams, impersonation attempts, and defamation. The impact of this has been significant, with a report by Ofcom finding that 32% of 8- to 15-year-olds had seen a ‘deepfake scam advert’ online. Further still, as synthetic media populates the internet further, there are risks that viewers will lose trust in what they see online.
As we continue to learn more about the impact of synthetic media, we’ve seen how the negative ways synthetic media can be used raise serious concerns about individual privacy and safety online. However, we’ve also seen that governments, organisations and businesses across the world are adapting their responses to consider these concerns.
The Future of Synthetic Media
As we’ve seen in the past few years, synthetic media has developed at a rapid rate, quickly becoming more realistic, accessible and harder to identify. However, whilst synthetic media gets more realistic, it’s not quite perfect yet. As the algorithms continue to learn, synthetic content may feature distortions or feel slightly uncanny. However, as time goes on and the algorithms become more sophisticated, it’s expected that these current flaws will be reduced, and it will become even harder to identify what’s real and what’s not.
As a result of this, industries across the world are identifying ways to identify and label synthetic media as AI-generated content. Alongside this, new guidance and legislation are being put in place to help limit the damage that synthetic media can do, to prevent non-consensual intimate image abuse and online harms.
As with all forms of technology, we don’t necessarily know what’s next, but by understanding the technology, its implications, and potential risks, we can work towards a future where synthetic media is used responsibly and ethically as it continues to evolve.
To learn more about synthetic media and the support available for adults, schools, and parents and carers, you can visit the SWGfL Synthetic Media Hub.
