16/10/2024
If you ever open the comments section under a cool video on Facebook it's pretty obvious that AI has completely ruined everyone's video literacy. Nobody knows what they're watching anymore.
As a rule, AI cannot currently create video containing multiple, recognisable objects which maintain their size, shape, colour, and other essential properties between frames. So many people aren't aware of that, but it's true. AI can't even generate complex images that can completely fool a discerning eye, even though we will probably get there soon. AI currently could not generate my cover image, for example. That's old-fashioned CGI, baby.
Be aware after reading this far, that AI is incredible at replacing faces. You cannot blindly trust anything you think you watched somebody say, or in some cases do, anymore. Their face will be too convincing. It's actually their voice that might be uncanny or uncomfortable enough to identify the video as AI. Always seek an additional source for anything out of character that you watch people say or do.
CGI, when done well, will be easily more convincing than AI when it comes to complete scenes and composited FX. There are still visual artefacts detectable by the discerning eye in a lot of CGI. Some CGI is utterly indistinguishable from reality, though. You may not realise how many of your favourite "practical" movie effects and scenes are augmented or even completely created digitally.
CGI is a far more labour-intensive process, though, and compositing CGI with reality can be somewhat out-of-reach for content creators. (Unless they know me, but that's not the point)
If you are looking at something which is genuinely believable to the eye for more than a few frames, and doesn't look or sound uncanny or uncomfortable, you can assume in most cases that it is not AI. Assume it is real first. Work backward through whether there is a good reason somebody would digitally generate whatever you are watching to arrive at sensible assumptions about whether it is CGI or AI.
The reason I'm telling you this is that people are going to be trying to scam you using AI very soon, and they will find you based on your comments. They will also create exploitative content using your likeness or the likeness of someone you know. Conversely, some things are simply real, and not using any AI or CGI trickery even though you might think they are. Some people are genuinely recording awesome, unbelievable, or even just weird things and their talent deserves appreciation, not the assumption that a machine did it.
It's going to be important to be video-literate going into the future. For the first time recently I heard somebody use the word "CogSec" and I think it will turn out to be the most important word you can remember in the future as it appears right now. It's unclear whether AI will ever possess the "I" required to produce genuinely convincing video, but it could happen and you'll need to know when.
This isn't a pitch for some literacy course. I don't do that. Just be vigilant.
- Curt.
