Societal Implications

These technologies threaten more than individual security:

Erosion of Trust: When any communication could be synthetic, trust in all communication erodes. This "liar's dividend" allows real bad actors to dismiss authentic evidence as deepfakes while using actual deepfakes for manipulation. Society must develop new frameworks for establishing truth.

Democratic Manipulation: Deepfakes of political figures making inflammatory statements could influence elections, incite violence, or destabilize governments. The speed of social media amplification means false content can shape opinions before detection or correction.

Economic Disruption: Markets moving on executive statements or news reports become vulnerable to deepfake manipulation. A convincing fake announcement could crash stock prices, enabling insider trading or corporate sabotage.