July 9, 2024
The Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy and the Center for National Security Studies (CNSS) at Utah Valley University (UVU) announced today during a media event a partnership with Provo start-up SureMark Digital Identity Services (SureMark™ Digital). They will launch a pilot project that works to combat AI “Deepfakes” in elections. Brandon Amacher of UVU Center for National Security Studies, said the issue of AI deepfakes creates “a complicated environment that is going to require collaboration across sectors. We need academic institutions private companies and the government to lean in together on these issues now.”
The proliferation of deepfake content has made it increasingly difficult for consumers of media to differentiate fact from fiction, even in our own Utah elections. AI deepfakes pose a significant risk for negatively influencing the 2024 elections, and the risk will only continue to grow. The SureMark™ Digital Identity Service pilot will include candidates seeking one of Utah’s four congressional seats and the open senate seat by giving the candidate the ability to authenticate their digital identity for free. The three major steps of the Digital Identity Service are (1) Verify Identity, (2) Authorize Content, and (3) Validate Source.
Advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible for synthetic media to be easily created. This kind of fraudulent media is known more widely as “deepfakes.” Irrespective of the source or intended purpose, the effect of deepfakes on consumers is always the same: confusion, skepticism, and the spreading of misinformation. Amelia Powers Gardner, Utah County Commissioner, stated that deepfake content still feels a bit off, and our senses can tell us that, “but that will not be the case for much longer.” Adding to the risk deepfakes pose to consumers is the inherent resistance to detection methods.
High-visibility clients are uniquely predisposed to deepfakes. The danger deepfakes pose to candidates for Utah’s federal delegation is real and must be addressed before candidates and constituents become victims of a deepfake campaign. Brandon Amacher said, “being reactive is always going to be insufficient, we have to be proactive.”
Dr. Scott Stornetta, Chairman of SureMark™ Digital, commented on community passivity toward the topic of deepfakes, feeling that there is nothing they can do about this advance of technology. He says, “There is something that we can do. We can credential these people; we can make it apparent who is taking responsibility for given media content. We as citizens can validate it.”
Utilizing principles of public-key cryptography by leveraging social networks to create a unique "key pair" credentialing system, SureMark™ Digital aims to increase trust in Utah's elections by empowering voters to verify that the media they view online is authentic. Instead of detecting AI deepfakes, this product focuses on verifying publications from a dually authorized source.
The process begins by creating a digital identity through social media networks. Candidates must demonstrate control of their official social media accounts and have two high-visibility individuals in their network attest to their authenticity.
Following these initial steps, a unique credential is granted to the candidate. This credential can be used to digitally “sign” or verify official communication in the form of text, image, audio, or video.
Finally, voters who are interested in receiving information about elections will download a browser extension, which allows them to seamlessly verify that content has been authorized by participating candidates. The browser extension will be available to the public August 8, 2024.
Amelia Powers Gardner said, “we can do all the work in the world to ensure that our election Administration process is sound, but if citizens can't have confidence in the campaign information they're receiving, then it's hard to have confidence in the election.” This method builds voter trust, as they can receive verified communication directly from candidates. This product also offers candidates greater opportunity to engage voters. The SureMark™ Digital ID pilot also allows candidates to take a proactive stand against the rising problem of election misinformation.
Gary R. Herbert, 17th Governor of Utah, said during the event, “I'm proud to say that I believe that we can trust the election process in the state of Utah. I think we are an example of how to do it right, and we're going to find ways to do it even better. As we go forward with the work of Dr. Stornetta and his team at SureMark™ Digital, voters will have even more confidence that the information that we received about elections is going to be accurate, validated, and authentic.”
Students and faculty with the Herbert Institute and CNSS will follow the pilot program evaluating the impact AI deepfakes may have on Utah’s elections. The pilot will run from July 2024 until the winning candidates are sworn into office in January 2025 and include academic panels and white papers.
“The reason that we wanted to start here [in Utah],” Scott Stornetta commented at the event, “is because of a long tradition of the way campaigns have been conducted and how politics has worked in this state. Beginning with Governor Herbert, and the emphasis he put on civility...coming down to this day with Governor Cox’s emphasis on the ability to ‘Disagree Better.’ This is one of the vital pillars for both free speech and for democratic institutions.”
This mutually beneficial partnership will assist the Herbert Institute for Public Policy fulfill its mission to develop future policy leaders, gather the community, and build trust in civic institutions that are the foundation of our democratic republic.
