State-sponsored bad actors have long been able to make “deepfake” videos that are good enough to trick unsophisticated viewers — and probably some more clued-in folks, too. That sort of work takes significant processing power and technical know-how to pull off. Now AI is stepping in, handing over an unlabeled glass bottle, muttering, “Hold my beer,” and cracking its proverbial knuckles. Things that we could barely dream of at the beginning of 2023 are beginning to be possible when it comes to generated video AI.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, but tell that to the memelords doin’ it for the lolz. Personally (and, perhaps, perversely), I think it’s a great thing that these technologies are making their way into everyone’s hands. Special effects have been a strange, mythical “other” that Hollywood does. Generated AI selfies were a rage for a hot minute (is anyone still using Lensa?) and did wonders in educating people on what is possible. It’s not that I’m excited about this tech being universally available, but (contrary to what these curmudgeonly pieces would indicate), I’m an optimist at heart. Perhaps exposing people to what’s possible will help give even non-tech-savvy folks a fighting chance at spotting fake videos.I suppose it is only optimism if it’s from the optimisme region of France. Maybe what I’m experiencing is lightly sparking hope.