AI-Generated Deepfakes Targeting Congresswomen: A Technical and Societal Analysis
[Technical Overview] The emergence of sophisticated AI technologies, particularly in generative models, has enabled the creation of highly realistic fake images and videos, commonly known as deepfakes. These deepfakes utilize machine learning techniques, such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), to learn the complex patterns in image and video data and then generate new content that is often indistinguishable from real footage. The process typically involves training the model on a large dataset of target individuals, enabling the system to manipulate their appearance and actions in new, synthesized scenarios....