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Spoofing and algorithms
If you've ever been suspended from Facebook for no predictable reason, you probably know how the Olathe Police Department felt this past weekend.
The department's page was "unpublished," on the grounds that it pretended to be a "brand or business." Of course, it is an actual brand — this was the department's official Facebook page, and it was not spoofing itself. The chief in Olathe is working through the process of having it reinstated.
On another section of the spectrum, the Montrose Police Department had to deal with the aftermath of an actual imposter, who (presumably as a joke), used the MPD's official logo and the chief's name to create a fake story about a reticulated python on the loose here.
I am confident both of these issues can be rectified, but it brings up a question: How can you tell? If someone has spoofed an official page, would you know that on sight? How about if it was something a little less obvious than a large, tropical snake supposedly enjoying the cold mountain springtime at a local park?
Facebook, in an attempt to crack down on this spoofing, may be snaring legitimate pages, too, as the Olathe incident seems to indicate. How do you know?
The obvious answer is to go to the source: Call the police, as many did about the snake. Facebook, however, apparently did not attempt to contact the actual OPD before taking down its page — the social media giant has close to 3 billion users and cannot reach out to every single one of them when it thinks there is a problem. Also — and this cannot be emphasized enough — when you are using a private entity's forum, you are subject to the forum's rules. There is no "First Amendment right" to post something on Facebook.
Olathe PD is rightfully concerned, however: It violated no rule its chief is aware of, but was simply, "inexplicably" flagged and unpublished.
Throw artificial intelligence into the mix of all this, and you might come up with a recipe for disaster. The technology has been used for everything from "deepfakes" (if you saw a photo appearing to show Pope Francis rocking a long, white puffer jacket, you saw a deepfake) to news stories.
Think about that for a moment. How much time are you going to spend before clicking a "laugh" reaction and maybe sharing that photo of the seemingly fashionable pope? As for AI-generated news stories, do you know from where the AI scrubbed the information used to produce it? Do you know how reliable that information is, and its original source? How about whether the original source gave permission to use its work?
You can learn more about how AI is used to create deepfakes from PBS Newshour; Business Insider; NPR; Forbes, more.
My humble two cents: AI is not always better, or even always good. Olathe Police Department, for example, wouldn't have had to go through rigmarole to have its legitimate page restored, if only it'd had ready access to an actual human.
AI is amazing, with amazing uses. Facebook may well have to use it, algorithms and other tech that is above my brain-level. But what I do know is this: It is easier to reason with a person than with AI.
— Katharhynn, from the newsroom
Running with it
If you missed "Believe Montrose" this weekend, you missed a valuable experience. Faultless and several partners brought the event to raise awareness about sexual assault. In the photo below, Olathe officer James Fogg gets ready to run in high heels, as a show of support for survivors.
Once again, asking if you've seen Shadow
This kitty is missing from Story Lane/West Oak Grove/6400 roads, going north. Shadow, a long-haired gray-and-white spayed kitty (with splashes of orange) was last seen March 17 and is desperately missed. Her collar (pink) may have come off. I'm making an appeal because I know what it is like to have a beloved cat disappear. If you can help Shadow's person, please call 970-596-6943.
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