Deepfakes surge ahead in S Korea
image for illustrative purpose
Seoul: With less than 50 days remaining until South Korea's parliamentary elections in April, concerns over the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfake videos and images are mounting, prompting heightened vigilance from election authorities.
According to the National Election Commission (NEC), the country's election watchdog, 129 pieces AI-generated media content had been detected from January 29 to the end of last week, constituting a violation of the newly revised election law.
This law prohibits the use of deepfakes for electoral campaigning purposes, with penalties of up to seven years in prison or fines of 10 million won ($7,500) for offenders, reports Yonhap news agency.
The NEC's crackdown on deepfakes represents a proactive response to the evolving landscape of disinformation, as facilitated by advancements in AI technology. The revised legislation, passed by the National Assembly in December, aims to curb the spread of false information and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process against emerging threats.
