Two months back, media titan Fox Corp. joined forces with Polygon Labs, the brains behind the Ethereum-focused layer-2 blockchain, to confront the growing distrust surrounding deepfakes.
Their collaboration birthed Verify, a protocol designed to safeguard their intellectual property while empowering consumers to verify the authenticity of content. Since its launch, Verify has garnered attention from government regulatory committees, publishers, and others who view it as a viable solution to a pressing issue, according to Melody Hildebrandt, CTO of Fox Corp., speaking on TechCrunch’s Chain Reaction podcast.
Hildebrandt expressed optimism that more news outlets, media firms, and others will adopt this technology as AI becomes more mainstream. Such integration could benefit both AI companies and creators, as models gain insights and outlets and individuals gain the ability to verify their work.
Ensuring content authenticity is crucial for end-users, who often grapple with doubts about the trustworthiness of the content they consume, noted Mike Blank, COO at Polygon Labs, during the podcast.
While many publishers are eager to participate in this ecosystem, they are cautious about relinquishing control over their content, Hildebrandt remarked. This necessitates implementing technical safeguards that offer creators an advantage while preserving flexibility for the future.
The concept of blockchain provenance struck Hildebrandt as a promising approach to addressing the question of “input into model” and navigating media provenance in an AI-driven world.
Blockchains hold potential in establishing data veracity and authenticating content proliferating across the internet, explained Blank. By identifying unreliable content, consumers can gain confidence in an environment where trust is often elusive.
Blockchain technology enables data storage in a manner that guarantees its integrity and can cryptographically verify the authenticity of various media assets.
“When you put that content on chain, you can now validate that content was created by a certain individual or brand,” Blank elaborated.
Brands have a vested interest in proactively offering verified information, Blank emphasized, as it simplifies the process for end-users to discern the validity of the content they consume.
As AI-generated content continues to proliferate, collaboration is essential to address the challenge at a pace conducive to effective consumer consumption, Blank concluded.
This article draws inspiration from an episode of TechCrunch’s podcast Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Chain Reaction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform for more insights and stories from the entrepreneurs shaping today’s most innovative companies.
