Every day, AI increases the cost of being a public figure
Klaas argues that perverse systems in society cause us to end up with leaders who exhibit a dark triad of characteristics — narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
This means that every day AI deepfake technology improves and proliferates, so will the cost to being a public figure. Every new voice and face recording you allow will open you up to increasing risk of deepfakes to misrepresent, humiliate, threaten, or undermine you.
That’s one hell of a cost — and if internet trolls are anything to go by, it’ll be higher for women, LGBTQ+ people, ethnic minorities and other groups that are frequently targeted. It’ll also be higher simply for people who don’t have thick skins.
On the other hand, the kinds of people Klaas talks about — narcissist Macchievellian psychopaths — won’t be that bothered by these costs. Just another day in the life. Their thick skins come hardwired.
Given this is the case, we urgently need government and philanthropic intervention not just to regulate against deepfakes, but to help people into public figurehood who are put off by the increasing costs.
