Fox Entertainment and blockchain creative studio Polygon have recently unveiled a novel tool, known as “Verify,” that promises to be a significant step forward in the battle against deepfakes. The rise of deepfakes — sophisticated video forgeries typically powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that manipulate footage of real people to make them say or do things they never did — has created a ripe landscape for misinformation and fraud. The introduction of “Verify” aims to change that by offering a means to authenticate content, instilling a layer of truth and transparency in digital media.
Verify harnesses the security and immutability of blockchain technology to establish a digital ledger of video content. Each piece of content is encoded with a unique digital signature that gets recorded on the blockchain. This immutable ledger enables anyone to verify the authenticity of a video, making it nearly impossible for a deepfake to masquerade as genuine content without being detected. Every video that passes through the Verify system will carry with it a verifiable certificate of authenticity — a crucial aspect for viewers in a world where seeing is no longer believing.
The implementation of Verify comes at a crucial time when the digital landscape is awash with manipulated media. Deepfakes have become increasingly sophisticated and easier to create, leading to a surge in potentially harmful content that can be used for everything from political sabotage to spreading false information. The public’s trust in digital content has progressively eroded, making it imperative for tech and media companies to establish checks and balances that can help determine the veracity of online media.
Fox and Polygon’s approach is groundbreaking not just for its potential to root out falsified content but also for its restraint and privacy considerations. Verify doesn’t rely on invasive methods or sweeping surveillance to establish trustworthiness. Instead, it places power and choice in the hands of content creators who can decide to blockchain their content as a stamp of authenticity, and in viewers who can seek out that confirmation with the ease of verification tools.
The Verify system operates by enabling content creators to “seal” their videos by embedding an imperceptible cryptographic hash into the content before uploading it to the blockchain. When a viewer encounters a piece of content, they can use the Verify tool to check the hash against the one logged on the blockchain. If the hashes match, viewers can be confident the content has not been altered since it was sealed by the creator.
This development arrives on the heels of increased investment in blockchain technology and its potential uses beyond cryptocurrency. Polygon, the blockchain studio partnering with Fox for Verify, has been at the forefront of exploring how blockchain can enhance various industries, including entertainment and media. Verify stands as a testament to the adaptability of blockchain for providing solutions in data verification and authenticity assurance.
Besides the immediate benefit of fighting deepfakes, Verify could have profound implications for the future of content distribution and copyright management. By securing videos on the blockchain, creators not only protect their work from being manipulated but also gain a clear, unhackable record of ownership and distribution rights. This could streamline copyright claims and revenue tracking in an environment where media is increasingly decentralized.
The next challenge for Verify will be achieving widespread adoption. It will require buy-in from major content platforms, creators, and consumers who must be educated on the benefits of blockchain verification and how to use the Verify tool. This education will be vital to combat the skepticism that often accompanies blockchain technology due to its complexity and its association with the volatile cryptocurrency markets.
Fox and Polygon are positioned to lead the charge, leveraging Fox’s influence in the entertainment industry and Polygon’s blockchain prowess to evangelize their tool. Their strategy involves reaching out to partners, including news organizations, social media platforms, and video streaming services, to integrate Verify directly into their systems, thereby making the verification process seamless for end-users.
The technology’s success will, to a large degree, hinge on its user experience. Verify must be user-friendly and accessible enough to encourage people to routinely check the content they consume. As deepfakes become more common and potentially damaging, the need for such tools will only grow, and Verify’s developers are confident that they can offer both robust security and ease of use.
Fox and Polygon’s Verify tool represents a milestone in the ongoing effort to preserve integrity and trust in digital media. By capitalizing on the decentralized and transparent nature of blockchain technology, Verify offers a promising solution to authenticate content and ward off the disinformation spread by deepfakes. As digital content continues to proliferate, tools like Verify that can provide clarity and truth will be essential in maintaining informed societies and the sanctity of fact-based discourse. In the digital age, where the manipulation of reality has never been so easy, Verify steps up as a necessary guardian of the truth.
I can see this system becoming another tool for censorship. Determine what’s real or fake, and suddenly you have the power to silence people.