In this episode of Techtonic, host Chris Stokel-Walker talks to disinformation researcher and former US Department of Homeland Security staffer Nina Jankowicz. Nina talks about the targeted campaign against her. First she was dubbed a traitor and accused of trying to censor Americans. And then came the moment she discovered that deepfake pornographic images of her had been generated and were being widely shared. She tells Chris about the lead-up to the images being posted, with a slow spread of fake news that put her in the crosshairs of people on both sides of the political spectrum.
‘As deepfakes and AI become more accessible and more convincing, for women who are in the public eye, this is just going to be the first order of business for anyone who wishes to undermine them,’ she predicts.
What happens when the internet is no longer a place where we can express ourselves, share our enthusiasm, and bond with others? What can we do when the internet breaks us?
Despite what she’s been through, Jankowicz is optimistic.