Giffey’s fake phone call with Klitschko – tech legends in the media

Deepfake: The term quickly spread after Berlin Mayor Franziska Jaffe caught a fake video call with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

The Senate chancellery itself revealed the unusual operation on the same day, and most of the media quickly agreed that Jeffrey had fallen for the AI-generated video, namely deepfake.

Journalist Eva Wolfangel was skeptical from the start: “Then there were soon various indications that they might have been cut together without the use of artificial intelligence using relatively simple methods, from a single medium.” I also found this “more straightforward,” says Wolfangel. “In spite of everything, you still don’t know for sure what exactly it is.”

There are actually fake videos where people are being imitated. “Technology is powerful,” says Wolfangel. But do you have a real-time video call with someone so they don’t even notice? “I would say technology can’t do that yet. That’s why I think it’s too early to talk about deepfakes.”

Wolfangel criticizes the fact that the media carelessly propagates such technology myths. The job of the media is “to enable people to help shape democracy. That is why it is so important that people are realistically informed of what is possible.” Especially with regard to artificial intelligence and democracy, there are still many points to be made.

Wolfangel also appeals to her colleagues to report in detail on topics such as social assessment in China, “where the idea of ​​total surveillance is always painted,” or alleged election manipulation in the United States by algorithms. “I think our job is to convey these finer details to people and not say: they are black or white. Also point out how to identify deepfakes. Enlighten.”

Her conclusion from the incident: “As the media, we really have to be careful to find a good middle ground between intimidation and downplaying. You can see that very clearly in the subject.”

Now it’s about learning from hasty reports, “by reporting on them now, researching them as well as educating each other: what can technology do and what do we have to prepare for?”

After all, the fake video call that the Russian comedy duo now claims is meant to create confusion and weaken confidence in democracy and in Ukraine. That “unfortunately worked,” says Wolfangel. “The strategy of such actions, of course, is to embarrass the people, to confuse the people, to discredit our politicians, and our job as the media is to defend and point out democracy.”