This unit opened my eyes to how powerful and dangerous deep learning can be. I explored deepfakes, which use deep learning to create fake but realistic videos or audio of real people. They work by using generative adversarial networks (GANs), where one neural network creates fake media and another tries to spot it, making the results more convincing over time.
At first, I was amazed by how creative this technology can be. It has potential in film, education, accessibility, and even language translation. But the more I researched, the more concerned I became. Deepfakes can be used to deceive, to manipulate politics, to violate people’s privacy and dignity, all without their consent. It made me think about the kind of future we are shaping through the tools we build.
This unit reminded me that the work we do in AI is not just technical. It has real consequences for people’s lives. As someone moving into this field, I feel a stronger sense of responsibility now. To design with care, to think about ethics early, and to always consider the impact before the innovation.