By now, you’ve probably heard about deepfakes, quantum computers, and the growing worry that we may not be able to tell what’s real online anymore. Welcome to the new reality of digital authenticity — where AI and quantum computing aren’t just buzzwords, but real challenges for anyone who relies on authentic digital information (so, basically everyone). As people get better at using artificial intelligence to manipulate images and video footage, and quantum computing races ahead with mind-bending speed, the online world faces a challenging question: are current data security methods keeping pace with AI manipulation tools and how do we know what content we can trust anymore?
Fake It 'Till You Make It
Artificial intelligence is doing incredible things, but it’s also becoming shockingly good at mimicking human behavior. It can now whip up videos, voices, and images that look and sound real — but aren’t. We’re not just talking funny face swaps. These deepfakes are getting so convincing that it’s becoming hard to know what to believe.
AI is also great at pumping out misinformation. Automated bots can flood your feed with falsehoods faster than any human could correct them. This isn’t just about social media chaos, however. These tools can also trick authentication systems, target businesses’ reputations, and chip away at public trust across the board. And as detection systems improve, so does AI’s ability to dodge them. It’s like a game of digital hide-and-seek, only with much higher stakes.
Then there are quantum computers. These machines promise next-level speed and power — great for science and medicine, not so great for encryption. The systems currently protecting our emails, bank details, and medical records could be cracked wide open. These technologies combined present significant challenges for security teams to consider when securing mission-critical video content for legal, evidentiary, or liability purposes. But what can we do to keep our essential data safe?
The Game Plan
So, what are businesses across our most critical industries doing to protect their data? Right now, several methods are in play to hold the line, but it might be time for an upgrade:
- Provenance tools use metadata and digital records to trace where content comes from. However, AI can mimic or manipulate these, and quantum systems could mess with the data’s integrity.
- Watermarking marks digital content with imperceptible markers. This method is effective now, but it won’t be long until an AI editor can scrub them clean or a quantum system figures out how to override them.
- Detection systems scan for signs of fake or altered media. But AI is always learning, which means detection tools have to constantly catch up.
- Distributed ledgers (like blockchain) create records that are hard to tamper with. Still, they struggle with scaling, and quantum attacks could find weak points.
Where We Go From Here
Finding the way forward means rethinking the tech we use to build digital trust.
- Quantum-resistant cryptography is already being developed, with algorithms designed to withstand quantum threats. Think lattice-based math problems and hash-based digital signatures, which are tough nuts to crack — even for supercomputers.
- Blockchain technologies still hold promise, especially newer versions designed to withstand quantum computing. These systems make it much harder to alter digital records without being caught.
- Smarter AI detection is also on the rise, with systems that can more reliably flag deepfakes and digital fakes.
- Universal authentication standards can help create consistency across platforms, so everyone plays by the same rules.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Protecting the authenticity of digital content online isn’t just a job for technology developers and security teams. Governments, technology companies, and even the public all have roles to play. Clear policies, shared knowledge, and better tools will go a long way in helping people tell what’s real from what’s fake. We’re heading into a future where seeing isn’t necessarily believing, but with the right tools, we can still maintain trust in the digital world.
This blog is based on a contributed article from SWEAR CEO Jason Crawforth for Forbes.
