Reply To: Netflix new “Black Mirror” season

[Kim]

Yes, and we are in a world of instant information and instant gratification, … the problem with it, I see, in the “black mirror” kind of way, it’s like the atom bomb theory where volatile radioactive elements are in a sphere. Then they are compressed by explosives that start a chain reaction where about one particle hitting another particle causes them to split, hitting another, and so on. This all happens in microseconds expanding at the speed of light and causing a nuclear explosion.

There was a time when you had to get the news in the newspaper or on TV, and your choices were 5 or 6 channels. Now everything is instant. There are billions of websites, millions of YouTubers, Twitter influencers, Ticktok, and so on.

If the President falls on stage, it’s instantly known worldwide. The more interconnected we become, the more the atom bomb theory comes into play. At some point, someone will post a deep fake video that looks real beyond anything created before that will piss off a billion people.

I sound like a doom-sayer type of person! However, I know there are solutions. We can protect our society from explosive issues and mass reactivity and instead have intelligent responses. I have seen how quickly a video posted on social media can lead to mass hysteria before it’s vetted in any way. What happens when a deep fake is out of this world in appearing authentic?

We must teach in schools the importance of verifying and being responsive, not reactive. I have to get back to work!