In 2017, an anonymous user on Reddit posted an algorithm that utilises existing artificial intelligence algorithms to create fake realistic videos that swap faces. This brought attention to AI-generated synthetic media. In addition, it was open-source, giving people the license to experiment and improve on it.
This reveal was not the first introduction of synthetic media. Its origins can be traced as far back as the 90s, if not earlier, with the use of Computer-Generated Imagery(CGI) and manipulation in Hollywood films like The Terminator.
Since its introduction, synthetic media has progressed over the years. This has led us to this point, where we would discuss the ethical and societal challenges, its applications, future, and how it enhances creativity.
Let’s get started!
Synthetic Media
Synthetic media, also known as AI-generated media, refers to the artificial production, manipulation, and modification of data and media by automated means. This involves Hyper-realistic video and audio recordings that use artificial intelligence and deep learning to create imitations.
Synthetic media has undergone various transformations over the years. If we look at the movie industry, we will see that this technology was used to create certain life or extra-terrestrial forms that seemed real.
For example, the movie Jurassic Park, released in 1993, compared with the latest Jurassic World released in 2022, shows the difference in how they improved on making dinosaurs more realistic. Although this falls under the Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), it is also a form of synthetic media. Modern forms of synthetic media are possible due to deep learning algorithms such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to develop realistic content that may be difficult to differentiate from real or traditional media. It often focuses on visual and audio content; however, text is also a part of this category. Synthetic media encompasses;
Deepfake Videos and Audio: Deepfakes are created using artificial intelligence to generate fake images, audio, and videos. They can manipulate existing content or develop new content to make it appear that a person or an entity is saying or doing something they never did.
Synthetic Speech: Synthetic speech is a computer-generated voice that mimics human speech. It uses text-to-speech (TTS) technology to convert text into speech and AI voice cloning to create a realistic synthetic voice.
The earliest form of synthetic speech was formant synthesis, where the acoustic characteristics of speech were extracted from voice recordings and programmed as rules for recreating voice as digital audio.
This technology produced very robotic speech. However, with the current advancements in AI and deep learning. It is now possible for modern tools to replicate human voices with better accuracy.
Synthetic Images: These are AI-generated visuals or computer-generated visual representations through artificial intelligence. These images mimic real-world images or generate new images instead of the traditional method of using a camera.
Synthetic images include;
AI-generated art and photos
Deepfake images of people that do not exist,
Image manipulation and enhancement can alter or enhance existing or new versions of images.
Virtual Avatars and Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) that are used in films and games.
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: Chatbots and virtual assistants like Alexa and ChatGPT use Natural Language Processing to generate human-like responses. Some virtual assistants use AI-generated voices to mimic human sounds.





