Armstrong Williams: Maryland principal deepfake highlights dangers of AI | VIDEO COMMENTARY

A school employee has since been charged by Baltimore County police in connection with creating the fabrication. 

We’re entering dangerous territory with the latest artificial intelligence technology. Recently, a Maryland high school principal came under fire after a 42-second-long racist rant attributed to him surfaced. But here’s the kicker: The entire rant was a deepfake.

It was convincingly made thanks to artificial intelligence. A school employee has since been charged by Baltimore County police in connection with creating the fabrication.

These new AI tools are free, they’re easy to use, and, quite frankly, the dangers they pose are great.

AI is poised to make major waves in this presidential election and elections in the future. It can spread misinformation like wildfire and destroy a candidate’s career in an instant. Thankfully, in the principal’s case, the fact that the recording was AI was discovered swiftly, but next time the next victim may not be so lucky. You can’t make this stuff up.

Armstrong Williams (awilliams@baltsun.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun.