And the sad part is that the propagandists didn't even need this technology. We got to a post truth world already just by consolidated media control, consistent repeated messaging, and utter disregard for truth.
this post was submitted on 22 Oct 2025
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Oh, it will get so much worse though.
Truth has been edited before for sure in history books, photos and entire lives. The difference now is anyone can do it.
Nah I remember with photoshop all kinds of bullshit. It's easier now, but AI has telltale signs unlike photoshop unless you're clone stamping. I think the main difference is tech illiterate asshats can fake shit with no effort now, so the bar is even lower than before when it was pretty low already
Fair. But if tech illiterate people can fake reality now, what happens when the tech educated start doing it on purpose?
It is not the same by any measure. It is infinitely easier and faster to do now than it has ever been. And no, AI won't have telltale signs.
Proof has never really been the problem.
People falling for lies haven’t done so because they found some proof compelling. They did so because it validated their beliefs. And since it validated their beliefs, they’re not going to easily change their mind in face of evidence of the contrary.
We are confirmation bias sponges.
Critical thinking is the real issue here and the more I think about it, the more I think that’s always been the issue. My grandparents were into scams long before the internet was big. They couldn’t be dissuaded from the lies they had already chosen to believe.
The internet just allowed them to see more lies. Sure the videos will make lies more convincing but so does ethos like “Dr. so and so says…” The heart of the issue remains the same: many people’s desire to feel correct outweighs their desire to be correct.
They used to say “don’t believe everything you read.” Now it’s “don’t believe anything you see.” Has the age of misinformation now become the age of manufactured reality?