Now available at micahshull.com
Artist Statement - Micah Shull
Increasing use of AI and its potential to contribute to misinformation on the internet
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming many aspects of our lives, including the way we consume information online. AI is being used to develop new and innovative ways to generate and distribute content, but it is also being exploited by bad actors to spread misinformation and disinformation.
One of the main ways that AI can contribute to misinformation is by making it easier and faster to create fake content. AI-powered tools can be used to generate realistic-looking images, videos, and text, even if they are completely fabricated. This can make it difficult for people to distinguish between real and fake content, especially when it is shared on social media or other online platforms.
AI is used to analyze large amounts of data about people's online behavior, including their interests, beliefs, and demographics. This information can then be used to create personalized messages and ads that are more likely to be believed and shared.
AI is also being used to spread misinformation through the creation of chatbots. Chatbots are computer programs that are designed to simulate conversation with humans. They are often used to provide customer service or support, but they can be used to pose as real people and spread false information about a particular candidate or political party. This can amplify the reach of misinformation and make it more difficult to control.
Here are a few specific examples of how AI has been used to spread misinformation:
In 2020, a team of researchers at Stanford University showed that AI can be used to generate deepfake videos of people saying things that they never actually said. These videos can be used to spread false information or to damage someone's reputation.
In 2021, a group of researchers at the University of Washington found that AI can be used to generate fake news articles that are indistinguishable from real articles, even to human fact-checkers.
In 2022, a report by the Atlantic Council found that AI-powered bots are being used to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. These bots are often used to spread conspiracy theories and to discourage people from getting vaccinated.
Psychological Impact
My work also attempts to understand the psychological effects AI has on people, particularly women, when comparing themselves to filtered and photoshopped versions of other women online. Before Covid anxiety was rapidly increasing among young adults. Now the prevalence of depression, substance use disorders, and suicides have all increased.
Younger adults experienced greater increases in moderate to severe levels of anxiety than any other age group. A study from June to July 2021 shows nearly half of the young adults exhibited symptoms serious enough to warrant further screening or treatment. The immediate and long-term implications of untreated mental health conditions are well documented.
Suicides have Increased
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S.. Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Female suicide rates have increased for those aged 10–14 and 15–24.
Teen Suicides Jump 29% Over the Past Decade
Rates of mental and behavioral health challenges have increased broadly among women and children across the nation in recent years.
The overall mortality rate among women ages 20-44 increased dramatically during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating existing disparities.
In the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, several socioeconomic and environmental conditions that shape health worsened. Women experienced record-high unemployment and markers of health related to children’s neighborhoods and home environments declined.
Pop Art
I use the bold, bright colors of Pop Art to inspire and uplift while simultaneously calling attention to deeper social issues. Now that deep fake images and videos can easily duplicate our likeness online, the use of tryptic mimics the challenges of identifying which image is the real one. This turns into a game of three-card monte we can never win.
The tryptic can be interpreted as representing the multitude of colorful personas we display to the world within varying social contexts. As our outward appearance changes so does our personality, tone of voice, and even behavior. This adaptive ability is perfectly natural under normal circumstances, but when we contort our true selves for more likes and follows, our psyches and self worth can suffer severely.
Mitigate the risks
One important step is to educate the public about the dangers of deepfakes and other forms of AI-generated misinformation. People should be critical of the information they see online. Media literacy education is essential to help people learn how to identify and evaluate information online.
Another important step is to develop new technologies to detect and remove AI-generated misinformation. A number of companies are working on developing such technologies, but more research and development is needed.
Social media platforms and other online platforms need to invest in better content moderation systems that can detect and remove AI-generated misinformation.
Fact-checking organizations need to develop new tools and techniques to identify and debunk AI-generated misinformation.
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