The State Department on Nov. 20 announced formation of a new Federal interagency task force that will focus on content authentication and combatting deepfakes and other forms of AI-driven content manipulation.
The task force will work across Federal agencies and be the go-to point of contact for working with international entities to set clear AI content standards, boost skills, and raise public awareness about the technology’s use and impact. A key focus will be the application of these transparency measures to government-produced content with the goal of reinforcing trust in official communications.
“This task force will make it easier for people to determine how and when digital content, such as videos, images, or audio, has been altered, generated, or manipulated using AI tools,” said the State Department.
“Facilitating access to this information empowers individuals to make decisions about the provenance and authenticity of online media,” the agency said.
Deepfakes and other AI-generated misinformation have been on the rise, with the most recent example being the 2024 presidential election cycle where public and political figures – including singer Taylor Swift and President Joe Biden – saw deepfakes about them posted to social media websites or used in calls to voters.
The issue is also ripe in Congress, where senators introduced an act in 2023 to ban the use of AI-generated content in Federal elections. Earlier this year a bipartisan group of House members introduced legislation to protect Americans from AI-driven misinformation by requiring the use of things like watermarks to identify AI content.
“Digital content transparency is vital to strengthening public confidence in the integrity of official government digital content, reducing the risks and harms posed by AI-generated or manipulated media, and countering digital information manipulation,” said the State Department. “This initiative demonstrates American leadership in advancing AI governance and cultivating transparency, public trust, and online safety in the global information environment.”
Currently, it is unclear which Federal agencies will be members of the task force and whether it will include any industry partners.
