Gaps currently exist on the underlying research needed to develop tools that detect videos, audio files, or photos that have manipulated or synthesized content, including those generated by generative adversarial networks. Research on digital forensics is also needed to identify, preserve, recover, and analyze the provenance of digital artifacts.

The National Science Foundation’s focus to support research in artificial intelligence through computer and information science and engineering, cognitive science and psychology, economics and game theory, control theory, linguistics, mathematics, and philosophy, is building a better understanding of how new technologies are shaping the society and economy of the United States.

The National Science Foundation has identified the “10 Big Ideas for NSF Future Investment” including “Harnessing the Data Revolution” and the “Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier”, with artificial intelligence is a critical component.

The outputs generated by generative adversarial networks should be included under the umbrella of research described in paragraph (3) given the grave national security and societal impact potential of such networks.

Generative adversarial networks are not likely to be utilized as the sole technique of artificial intelligence or machine learning capable of creating credible deepfakes. Other techniques may be developed in the future to produce similar outputs.