This is incredibly dangerous territory, this Deep Fake stuff. I don’t think I can overstate how, as a journalist, this disturbs me. As a gatekeeper for information, Deep Fakes take my ability, or inability, to trust video and soundbites to a whole new level.

So, what should be done? As a staunch offender of the First Amendment, I can’t endorse a ban on Deep Fakes. It’s a means of expression, and handled responsibly, a creative and entertaining one. But we live in an age when people and groups inspired by fervor and maliciousness will stoop to any means to add to their ranks. This is when Deep Fakes are at their most dangerous.

I think the creators of Deep Fakes should at least be required to identify their work as such. The manipulation of video and audio is tantamount to forgery through multimedia. If you create Deep Fakes in secret, you should be punished as a forger.