CBS News launches venture to identify AI deepfakes and misinformation

CBS News Confirmed will be produced by Claudia Milne (left) and Ross Dagan.

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CBS News is launching a new venture designed to identify IA generated deepfakes and misinformation. CBS News Confirmed, to be led by Claudia Milne and Ross Dagan, will produce segments on the findings of a team of journalists who will analyze the content.

Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations, wrote in a memo to staffers that the venture “represents an investment in several key areas, including hiring forensic journalists, expanded training by Standards and Practices, and new, state-of-the-art technology.” She said that jobs will be posted in the coming days.

“Technology is changing at an unprecedented pace. And the challenges created by the rise of generative AI, fake videos, and misinformation are too great for us not to meet head-on,” McMahon wrote.

The new venture comes as networks solidfy plans for coverage of the 2024 presidential election, with increasing concerns over the use of AI to manipulate candidates’ images and voices. At the White House last week, President Joe Biden recalled listening to his own manipulated voice that was generated by AI. Biden signed an executive order last week to try to establish guardrails around AI, including setting standards for watermarking original content and identifying AI generated material.

McMahon’s complete memo… MORE