Hany Farid’s take on the altered Nancy Pelosi video

CS Prof. Hany Farid was interviewed for an article in the Washington Post titled “Faked Pelosi videos, slowed to make her appear drunk, spread across social media.”  A video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was slowed to about 75 percent of its original speed and altered to modify the pitch of her voice in an effort  to convince the public that she was intoxicated.  “It is striking that such a simple manipulation can be so effective and believable to some,” Farid said. “While I think that deepfake technology poses a real threat, this type of low-tech fake shows that there is a larger threat of misinformation campaigns — too many of us are willing to believe the worst in people that we disagree with.”