The explosion in the creation of deepfakes has left us in the middle of an information war. No longer can we safely consume audiovisual content without questioning whether we are watching something real or totally fabricated. For context, a deepfake is an AI-generated picture, video or audio clip depicting a real person saying or doing something they never said or did.

We are at an uncanny stage in the technological era where technological advancement is no longer measured solely by the increase in functionality and convenience that human beings can enjoy, but now by how creative idle people can get in their application of technology. Rather than being used to solve problems, we are now at a turning-point where technology has started creating problems. What began as technical curiosity has quickly evolved into a social problem that challenges the very idea of truth, identity, and consent in the digital age.

Anyway, we have passed the point of no return. Deepfakes and AI-generated images, videos, and audio that convincingly mimic real people will only get more and more realistic. It is all here to stay. That is why governments should start thinking about how they will face head-on, the risks associated with unregulated AI use (or misuse).