Technology plays a significant role in most people’s lives. Everything from streaming content on our TVs to using the phones in our pockets requires the utilization of sophisticated technology. And emerging technology also influences the legal industry, including allegations of crimes.
Even age-old criminal offenses can involve a high-tech element that has the potential to complicate a case. For instance, parties could use so-called deepfakes to make false allegations of harassment, abuse or assault against someone.
What is a deepfake?
A deepfake is an audio or video that utilizes artificial intelligence to replace a real person’s voice or likeness with someone else’s. Anyone from a young teenager to politicians can use the technology to edit video or audio, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish a deepfake from a real recording.
Often, people use deepfakes as a form of entertainment. But they can do some severe damage to a person’s reputation and freedom when they are created to make it appear that someone is engaging in illegal activity.
Some possible examples include someone doctoring a video of a fight or altering an audio recording of someone making threats or confessing to criminal acts. Someone could also use deepfakes in an effort to create misleading recordings of an arrest or other altercation with law enforcement agents.
In these situations, a person could be looking at harsh penalties like jail or prison time, probation and a stain on their criminal record for something they did not do.
Using tech in a legal case
In situations where technology is used against someone, challenging the legitimacy of the tech will be crucial. However, it can be incredibly complicated. In these cases, parties will need to consult experts and identify ways to authenticate digital evidence.
Technology can make our lives easier, but it can also create problems. Taking something at face value may no longer be reliable, especially in the courtroom. Confronting these problems with the help of and resources available to an attorney can make it easier to defend against wrongful allegations.