Two months back, Fox Corp., a prominent media conglomerate, joined forces with Polygon Labs, the team behind the Ethereum-focused layer-2 blockchain, to address the issue of distrust surrounding deepfakes.
Their collaboration led to the launch of Verify, a protocol designed to safeguard their intellectual property while enabling consumers to verify the authenticity of content. This initiative has garnered attention from government regulatory bodies, publishers, and other stakeholders, who view it as a practical solution for addressing current challenges, as highlighted by Melody Hildebrandt, CTO of Fox Corp., on TechCrunch’s Chain Reaction podcast.
Hildebrandt expressed optimism about the increasing adoption of this technology by news outlets, media companies, and others, especially as AI technology becomes more mainstream. Such integration could be mutually beneficial for AI companies and content creators, as it enhances the reliability of models while enabling individuals and organizations to verify their work.
Mike Blank, COO at Polygon Labs, emphasized the significance of this development for end users, who often face uncertainty regarding the trustworthiness of the content they consume. Hildebrandt noted the widespread interest among publishers in participating in such initiatives while also maintaining control over their valuable assets. This necessitates the implementation of technical safeguards that strike a balance between empowering creators and preserving future flexibility.
Hildebrandt highlighted the realization that blockchain provenance could serve as a foundational concept for addressing concerns regarding the origin of inputs into AI models and the management of media in an AI-driven environment.
Blank underscored the potential for blockchains to play a pivotal role in establishing the accuracy of data and verifying the authenticity of content proliferating across the internet. The aim is to identify and flag unreliable content, offering consumers a sense of reassurance in a world where trust can be elusive.
Blockchain technology offers several advantages, including the capacity to securely store data while maintaining its integrity. Additionally, blockchains enable the cryptographic validation of various types of media assets, such as images, text, and videos.
“When content is recorded on the blockchain, it becomes possible to confirm that it originated from a specific individual or brand,” Blank explained.
He emphasized that it’s increasingly advantageous for brands to proactively offer authenticated information. This approach simplifies the process for end users to discern the credibility and validity of the content they encounter.
With AI-generated content proliferating rapidly and the capabilities of AI continuing to advance, Blank stressed the importance of collaborative efforts to address this challenge. He highlighted the necessity for the technological infrastructure to facilitate the resolution of issues at a pace that aligns with the needs of end users, ensuring effective consumption of content.