The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) 2021 Innovations Dialogue on Deepfakes, Trust and International Security was held in Geneva on 25 August 2021. The event explored the importance of trust for international security and stability and shed light on how the growing deepfake phenomenon could undermine this trust.
REPORT, HIGHLIGHTS & RECORDINGS:
- Read the 2021 Innovations Dialogue Conference Report
- Get the key Conference Highlights in a one-page summary
- Watch all of the conference sessions on the UNIDIR YouTube channel or below
BACKGROUND:
The world today is suffering from a “trust deficit disorder,” as noted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, wherein trust among states and in multilateral processes has weakened. Trust is a central pillar of international security and stability. It sets the foundation for cooperation, institution-building and multilateralism, and rests on the ability of actors to learn, perceive, and believe others’ interests, positions and actions through means of communication. In a world where digital forms of communication are ubiquitous, the emergence of AI-enabled digital visual and textual media fabrication and manipulation technology known as deepfakes could further subvert trust and challenge its preconditions at an individual, systemic and societal level, thereby endangering international security and stability.
With the participation of stakeholders from government, academia, and industry, the Dialogue analysed how algorithmically generated synthetic visual and textual media is created and disseminated, and examined how it can erode trust and present novel risks for international security and stability. The discussions explored key governance issues concerning deepfakes and their attendant technological countermeasures, and considered whether new multilateral and multi-stakeholder tools are needed to fill the governance gaps that deepfakes have engendered.
For any questions, contact Alisha Anand at alisha.anand@un.org.
WHEN & WHERE:
25 August 09:00-17:30 CEST, Hybrid format: Geneva (Fairmont Grand Hotel Geneva) and online
Please specify if you will be attending in person or if you will be connecting remotely. The link to access the broadcast of ID2021 will be provided by email to registered participants one day prior to the event.
PARTICIPANTS:
UNIDIR encourages the participation of representatives and experts working on or interested in issues pertaining to advancement in digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and their implications for international peace and security.
AGENDA:
Accessible text version also available below.
0900-0910: Welcome and Opening Remarks
Robin Geiss, Director, UNIDIR
0910-0940: Keynote Address – Trust and International Security in the Era of Deepfakes
The scene-setting keynote address will explore the importance of trust for international security and stability and shed light on the extent to which the growing deepfake phenomenon could undermine this trust.
Nina Schick, Director, Tamang Ventures
0940-1115: Unpacking Deepfakes – Creation and Dissemination of Deepfakes
This panel will provide a technical overview of how deepfake video, audio, image and text are generated. and disseminated. The key questions it will seek to address include what are the underlying technologies of deepfakes? How are deepfakes disseminated, particularly on social media and communication platforms? Which actors currently have the means to create and disseminate them? And what types of deepfakes currently exist and what is on the horizon?
Moderated by Giacomo Persi Paoli, Programme Lead, Security and Technology, UNIDIR
Hao Li, Co-Founder and CEO, Pinscreen, and Distinguished Fellow, University of California, Berkeley
Katerina Sedova, Research Fellow, Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), Georgetown University
Ashish Jaiman, Director, Technology and Operations, Microsoft
1115-1130: Coffee Break
1130-1300: Understanding the Implications for International Security and Stability
This panel will examine the uses of deepfakes and the extent to which they could erode trust and present novel risks for international security and stability. The key questions it will seek to address include how could deepfakes be used? What is the potential geopolitical and societal impact of deepfakes on the stability, integrity and trustworthiness of institutions, the information ecosystem and society more broadly? What are the existing risks to international security and stability, and what future risks may arise?
Moderated by Kerstin Vignard, Non-resident Senior Fellow, UNIDIR
Anita Hazenberg, Director, INTERPOL Innovation Centre
Alexi Drew, Senior Analyst, RAND Europe
Carmen Valeria Solis Rivera, Director for Cybersecurity, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
Moliehi Makumane, Researcher, Security and Technology Programme, UNIDIR, and Former South Africa Cyber Diplomat
Saifuddin Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Nanyang Technological University
Petr Topychkanov, Senior Researcher, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
1300-1400: Lunch Break
1400-1500: Managing the Deepfake Phenomenon – Counter-Deepfake Technologies
This panel will give an overview of the technological countermeasures being developed and reflect on their effectiveness to combat the risks posed by the malicious uses of deepfakes, particularly in light of the pace at which deepfake technology is advancing.
Moderated by Arthur Holland Michel, Associate Researcher, Security and Technology, UNIDIR
Laura Ellis, Head of Technology Forecasting, BBC
Giorgio Patrini, Co-Founder and CEO, Sensity
1500-1610: Managing the Deepfake Phenomenon – Governance Issues and Responses
This panel will explore the key governance issues concerning deepfakes and discuss what governance measures are needed to respond to them. The key questions this panel will seek to address include what governance challenges do deepfakes present? What industry-led, national and regional governance responses against deepfakes are emerging? How can we create synergies between the various bottom up and top down governance measures? What new, if any, multilateral and multi-stakeholder tools are needed to fill governance gaps?
Moderated by Giacomo Persi Paoli, Programme Lead, Security and Technology, UNIDIR
Marie-Valentine Florin, Executive Director, International Risk Governance Center (IRGC), École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Juha Heikkila, Adviser for Artificial Intelligence, European Commission
Odhran McCarthy, Programme Officer, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)
Yoel Roth, Head of Site Integrity, Twitter
Yoo Hyang Kim, Counsel of the National Assembly Research Service (NARS) of the Republic of Korea
1610-1620: Coffee Break
1620-1720: Preserving and Fostering Digital Trust: The Way Forward
In the era of digital transformation, digital technologies now underpin core societal functions. Our ability to unlock the true potential of digital technologies and leverage their transformative benefits for society, economy and the environment is dependent on preservation of trust and the stability of the digital ecosystem. And as international security and stability are increasingly dependent on digital security and stability, effective concrete multilateral and multi-stakeholder actions are needed to mitigate the effects of irresponsible and malicious uses of digital technologies and prevent the erosion of trust and stability.
Through an open discussion, this panel will reflect on what digital trust entails. What initiatives can be taken by the international community to build digital trust and mitigate the potential destabilizing effects of advances in digital technologies? What are the challenges to preserving and fostering digital trust and how can they be overcome? What role can the UN play in promoting trust and ensuring the security and stability of the digital ecosystem?
Moderated by Robin Geiss, Director, UNIDIR
Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
Kaja Ciglic, Senior Director, Digital Diplomacy, Microsoft
Amandeep Singh Gill, Project Director/CEO, International Digital Health & AI Research Collaborative (I-DAIR)
1720-1730: Closing Remarks
Robin Geiss, Director, UNIDIR
Disclaimer: The speakers and programme are subject to change