Study: Humans can develop deep fake memories in the brain

Now scientists can convince people that deepfakes are real memories they actually have.

Scientists have successfully implanted deepfake memories into humans. Led by Gillian Murphy of University College Cork in Ireland, the team studied over 400 participants who were presented with deepfake footage. In one of these videos, Will Smith played Neo in The Matrix, a role originally played by Keanu Reeves. A study of deepfake memories published in the journal PLOS One found that 49% of participants believed the fake remake was real. Many of them even “remembered” the fictional reboot of The Matrix better than the original film. 41% of this group said that the fake Captain Marvel played by Charlize Theron was better. “Although our results show that deepfake technology is not the only one capable of distorting movie memories, our qualitative data showed that the majority of participants dislike deepfake remakes.the researchers said. Their concerns included the possibility of compromising artistic integrity and a sense of unease about the level of control and possibilities this technology could offer.

It’s all about technology literacy

However, deepfake videos are no more effective at distorting memories than plain text descriptions. “We should not be predicting a dystopian future based on our fears of new technologies,” a disinformation researcher at University College Cork Murphy told The Byte. He added that before rushing to address problems that might not be there, evidence of harm needs to be gathered. People can protect themselves from the deceptive nature of deepfakes by improving their technological literacy. In addition, the results do not raise serious concerns, as the study shows that deepfakes do not pose a particularly serious threat to memory compared to existing forms of disinformation.

Exploring the Limits of Human Memory: False Memories and Distortion of Deepfakes

Interestingly, previous studies not related to deepfake technology have demonstrated various methods for implanting false memories. The lead researcher in this area is Elizabeth Loftus, who conducted the experiment “lost in the mall“. In this study, participants were falsely told that they had gotten lost in a mall as children. Surprisingly, a quarter of the participants remembered the false event. This experiment was later repeated by Murphy in 2022. The results of these studies indicate that memories of initial experiences can be distorted by information after the event. Murphy summarized this phenomenon as the possibility that our memories are influenced by later details. The researcher and her team plan to conduct a new study using “deepfake” memories associated with policy. The goal will be to assess the potential impact on voters’ memory and attitudes.