Viral Videos, Generative AI & Geopolitic

In the era of generative AI, deepfakes and disinformation, visual media have become an essential but perilous tool for human rights organizations, civil society, governments, media outlets, industry and our daily lives. Over the past decade, digital sleuths and journalists have developed methodologies and toolkits to analyze videos and photographs that prove chemical weapons use in Syria, help track human rights abuses in Ukraine, and document police brutality in the United States. And bystander videos continue to spark worldwide protests, as with the killing of George Floyd in 2020. But bad actors are increasingly using fake, distorted and synthetic media to influence narratives, deceive people, business and governments, and sow confusion and conflict in the international community. So how should stakeholders navigate the world of viral media when almost everyone has a camera in their pocket, and can easily and cheaply access image generators? This course will dive into the tools that can help you discover, debunk, verify and use viral videos, user generated content and synthetic media. The course takes advantage of guest speakers to have the most current takes on these issues, and so we will talk to leaders in the emerging industry that will dictate the future of our information ecosystem. Students pursuing journalism may want to tell compelling and trusted stories, while those on a policy track can focus on how to use this kind of media to inform or influence decision makers and the public. Others interested in government or the private sector will also need to address this rapidly changing environment to make critical decisions off of digital content. Through case studies and compelling guest speakers, we will analyze social, business, and geopolitical impacts of this exploding world of visual content, and look at emerging technologies that are helping or hurting people’s ability to trust what they see.