Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
Three members of Congress today asked the nation’s spymaster to investigate the national security implications of computer-generated video and audio manipulations known as "deepfakes."
Why it matters: The lawmakers — two House Democrats and a Republican — echoed the warnings of experts who say deepfakes could become the next vector for poisonous propaganda and misinformation.
Deepfakes use artificial intelligence to generate video, audio, or images. They can show a person saying something they didn’t, or paste one person’s head onto another's body in a video. The Defense Department has invested in tools to detect deepfakes, a very difficult challenge.
The details: Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), and Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) sent their request to the Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats. They asked Coats to examine whether deepfakes have been used against the U.S. by foreign governments or individuals.
What they’re saying: "Deep fakes have the potential to disrupt every facet of our society and trigger dangerous international and domestic consequences," Curbelo said in a statement.
Go deeper:
- Read the lawmakers’ letter to DNI Dan Coats.
- The impending war over deepfakes (Axios)