In a recent media briefing panel titled ‘Deepfakes are here to stay – so where to next?’, leading researcher Professor Simon Lucey, Director of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) at the University of Adelaide, emphasized the urgency for Australian governments and media organizations to respond proactively to the swift pace of development in artificial intelligence (AI). According to Professor Lucey, the advancement of generative AI images and video has reached a point where distinguishing between real and fake content is becoming increasingly challenging.
Expressing satisfaction with the Federal Government’s commitment to responsible AI and the establishment of a new AI expert group, Professor Lucey urged Australia to build its own AI capabilities to stay globally competitive. He stressed the need for immediate action, stating, “The time is now to act. We have this amazing country, we have these amazing Australian values. And if we don’t build up sovereign capability in this area, we are not going to be able to reflect those values back to the new generation of Australians that are coming through.”
However, the growing sophistication of AI technology brings forth significant challenges for Australian newsrooms, particularly in terms of verifying AI-generated content. Professor Monica Attard, Co-Director of the Centre for Media Transition at the University of Sydney, conducted interviews with 20 editorial and production staff from prominent Australian newsrooms, including the ABC, Nine papers, and The Guardian. The consensus among these industry leaders was a mix of “extreme concern coupled with extreme excitement” regarding the impact of generative AI on journalism’s core principles.
According to Professor Attard, newsrooms are wary of the risks associated with AI, including concerns about information integrity, trust, copyright, and the economic sustainability of journalism business models. The struggle to keep pace with AI developments has led to cautious attitudes, with newsroom editors expressing a reluctance to have reporters utilize technologies such as ChatGPT.
AI ethics researcher Rebecca Johnson, based at the University of Sydney, emphasized the essential understanding that AI, like any technology, is an “extension of people.” Johnson highlighted the inherent biases and perspectives present in AI systems, stemming from the decisions made during training, development, and deployment. She pointed out that the field often sees dominance from centralized sources of money and power, raising questions about whose values are being prioritized when aligning AI technologies.
Johnson underscored the importance of public awareness about the influence of various factors on AI systems, including the design, architecture, goals, and even the way prompts are formulated. In discussing value alignment for AI technologies, she prompted critical reflections on whose values are being prioritized, particularly in a landscape dominated by influential figures such as Sam Altman, Microsoft, and Elon Musk.
The media briefing panel, which also featured Will Berryman, Executive Director of the Royal Institution of Australia, delved into the inevitability of deepfakes and the need to navigate the challenges posed by these AI-generated manipulations. Notably, the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to contribute over 12,500 Australian science articles to AIML. This collaboration aims to support the development of a sovereign AI capability or tool in Australia.
In conclusion, as AI continues its rapid evolution, Australian governments and media organizations find themselves at a crucial juncture. Balancing the excitement of AI opportunities with the need for responsible deployment becomes paramount in maintaining the integrity of information, fostering trust, and navigating the complex landscape of journalism in the age of advanced artificial intelligence.
